


From Where You Are

by ToujoursMiraculous



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mystery, New Miraculous Holders, Romance, Team Miraculous, his bad luck has to run out sometime right?, precious cinnamon roll that needs protecting, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2018-11-04 18:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 68,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10996515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToujoursMiraculous/pseuds/ToujoursMiraculous
Summary: After spending some time with Adrien over the summer, Marinette is left worrying due to his sudden absence. Even Chat Noir doesn't seem to be around. Adrien, forced into moving to a foreign land, leaves behind the promise that he will see his friends and Lady again, while learning how to cope with his new life.





	1. Her Chaton

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever fiction for Miraculous Ladybug!  
> This was inspired by the song 'From Where You Are' by Lifehouse.
> 
> This was originally written starting in December of 2016, so Rena Rouge and Carapace were only speculated. In this fic, they're called Vixen and Emerald Turtle, and Queen B is Queen Bee. I will be keeping their names as I originally wrote them for this fic. I also realize that the OC I came up with in the chapter When In Rome is named Luka. He has no ties with Juleka's brother Luka whatsoever, as this was written way before he was ever announced. I just really love the name and am thrilled it's actually going to be a name of an important character.
> 
>  **Edit:** I may soon go through and change the names of our Fox, Turtle, and Bee Miraculous holders, since there will be a sequel to this where the names will be written as what's canon.

Class had been out for a few weeks, and things had been going wonderfully.  


Marinette managed to spend some time with Adrien, thanks to Alya, and non-surprisingly, Nino. Though, naturally, when you're a model and have a father who is a controlling, overprotective, famous fashion designer, fun days with friends were very few and far between. Marinette accepted this though and was grateful she spent the time she did with him, especially considering she was still unable to form coherent sentences when speaking to him when they were left alone. Only recently had she started to relax around him, after all.

When she had gone two weeks without seeing Adrien, she had become a little bit restless.

"It's been two weeks, Tikki! Not seeing him is the absolute _worst_!" Marinette flung herself into her chair dramatically, the chair spinning around.

Tikki was sitting on Marinette's desk, munching on some freshly baked cookies from the bakery. Tikki had never tasted baked goods as delicious as the Dupain-Chengs, and even after a year with Marinette, she still couldn't get enough of the stuff.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. He's probably just really busy modeling," she offered between bites.

"Is he really though? I mean, what if he's just sick of spending time with me, and Alya and Nino are too nice to tell me. Maybe the three of them are spending time together without me! Or worse, what if there was some sort of accident, and Adrien's in the hospital somewhere?!" she was seriously starting to panic, in only the way Marinette could.

Tikki sighed.

"Marinette, you've got to calm down! I'm sure he's fine."

"I think I should go check on him. You know, as Ladybug," Marinette said nervously, she knew she was suggesting something the little red Kwami wouldn't approve of.

"That's not a good idea," Tikki replied sternly. "You can't be using your Ladybug powers for selfish reasons. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon, don't worry!"

"I'm sure you're right," Marinette agreed, her shoulders relaxing.

Just then, a video update from Alya's Ladyblog had popped up on the screen.

"Another akumatized victim has emerged! Seems this one is some sort of clown? Ewww," Alya shuddered.

"I AM MR. NIGHTMARE. IF I CANNOT SLEEP PEACEFULLY, THEN NO-ONE ELSE WILL!" yelled a voice, clearly belonging to a man.

Citizens were being shot by flashes of light, collapsing on the ground. Some seemed to writhe in pain or fear, others walked around as if they were being controlled, like a mindless puppet.

Marinette jumped up from her seat without hesitation. "Time to go! Tikki spots on!"

The little red Kwami zipped into Marinette's earrings, and she became Ladybug once more. Ladybug quickly burst out the trap door above her bed, and flung herself over the streets of Paris, with the help of her trusty, indestructible yo-yo.

Ladybug arrived on the scene with Mr. Nightmare, trying to figure out how to do damage control. Chat Noir would usually show up by then if he hadn't arrived on the scene before she did. But he was nowhere to be seen.  
_Chat, where are you?_ she thought.

She groaned internally. _No time to worry about that cat now, where's the akuma?_  
The villain was wearing a dark blue and black suit, with crazy purple and orange hair. His mask was different than any other mask she'd seen the villains wear. It looked _removable_.

Ladybug thought hard. How to get the villain distracted enough to get the akuma? Usually, this was Chat's job.

"Here goes..." she mumbled to herself. "Hey, Mr. Nightmare! The only nightmare about you is your outfit!"

The villain shrieked angrily, before jolting toward her. Ladybug barely had time to get out of his path, and the bolts he threw her way.  
She quickly realized that the only way to get out of this was to use her Lucky Charm, but the problem now was getting enough time to use it without being attacked. This villain was fast and very observant. He seemed to know where she was going to go before she did. After several minutes attempting to evade him, Ladybug landed on a rooftop several blocks away from Mr. Nightmare, giving her enough time to use Lucky Charm safely.

"Lucky Charm!" she exclaimed, as an alarm clock landed in her hands.

"What's this going to do?" Ladybug wondered, looking around. She saw a large metal tube perched on the other side of the roof. She ran over to the tube, setting the alarm, and then quickly threw it in before it went off.  
The noise echoed throughout the streets, and Mr. Nightmare was definitely not pleased.

"WHO IS CAUSING ALL THIS RACKET?!" bellowed the colorful villain.

Ladybug used this distraction to sneak behind him, once he approached the tube, and yanked his mask off. After destroying the mask, she purified the akuma, and set it free. She grabbed the now silent alarm clock, and threw it up in the air, shouting 'Miraculous Ladybug!', which set everything back to normal.

"Pound i-" she began, holding her hand out for a fist pump, before remembering that Chat Noir wasn't with her tonight.  
"Oh..." she said quietly, as the victim, who turned out to be a thin and frail old man, predictably asked, "What am I doing here?"

She helped the man down from the rooftop and was greeted by the press. Usually, this wouldn't be an issue, but the questions she was asked tonight were all about Chat Noir.

"Where's Chat Noir?" one asked.

"Did something happen between you two? Is that why he wasn't here fighting with you?" questioned another.

"Has Chat Noir abandoned the superhero life?" demanded a woman, excitement radiating from her.

Reporters were stuffing microphones in her face, as she looked around. For the first time since she became Ladybug, she felt more like Marinette while in the suit.  
Alya was among the reporters to have witnessed the akuma attack and saw Ladybug's reaction. After spending as much time with Marinette as she did, she knew that look all too well.

"Leave her alone!" Alya shouted, pushing back the microphones. "Go Ladybug!"

"Thank you," Ladybug quickly waved, and flew off before anyone could stop her.

 _What's going on?_ she wondered when she was away from the crowd.

\----------

The next evening, Ladybug went to her usual meeting place, where the two superheroes would meet up before going on their patrol of the city. She waited a good half hour, until she decided he wasn't going to show, and ended up going alone.

Patrol went smoothly, nothing out of the ordinary. She was so caught up in her thoughts, that she subconsciously found herself at Agreste Manor.  
Ladybug peered in through the window, but all she could see in his room were shadows.

 _Maybe he just went on a trip. Fashion models travel a lot, after all._ She tried to convince herself, but she couldn't shake the bad feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach.

When Ladybug arrived home, she detransformed, and collapsed onto her bed, mentally exhausted.

"Marinette, are you alright?" Tikki had quickly glided down, just inches in front of Marinette's face.

"What's going on, Tikki? Where could Chat be? Even Adrien doesn't seem to be home..."

"Maybe we should go and talk to Master Fu in the morning. I'm sure he'll know what's going on with Chat Noir. For now, I think you should sleep," suggested Tikki.

"Sleep..." Marinette mumbled, barely coherent before she drifted off.

Marinette woke up to the radiant sunshine coming in from her windows. No school meant she wasn't late for anything. However, this was a habit she was going to try to break for the new school year that was to start the following day.

"Morning Marinette! Ready to go meet with Master Fu today?" greeted the Kwami brightly.  
"I suppose so," replied Marinette nervously.

They arrived less than half an hour later at Master Fu's little massage shop.  
Marinette let Tikki out, and she and Wayzz, Master Fu's Kwami, sat over on a little table, ready to listen to their Chosen's conversation.

"Master Fu, it's been awhile since I've seen Chat Noir, and I was just wondering, if..." she trailed off, becoming silent.

"If he mentioned something to me? Yes, he did, in fact, come to me, about a week ago. I was waiting for you to come visit Ladybug, so I could give you something," Master Fu scratched his beard, a look of sadness on his face.

That wasn't helping the feeling of dread that had settled in Marinette's heart.

She swallowed hard. "What is it?"

Master Fu reached into his pocket and pulled out a note.  
"Chat Noir wanted me to give this to you."

Marinette automatically sat up straight, her eyes flitting to the envelope he held. She removed the note, and began to read it aloud.

> Dear Bugaboo,
> 
> I wish I could've told you this in person, but I had to leave France. As hard as it is for me to say, it's not temporary. I don't know when I'll be back at your side again, m'lady.  
>  I know you and Paris need me, but I had no choice. There is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be than here, with you. Please believe that.
> 
> The moment I found out I was going to be leaving, I went searching for you around the city, but you were nowhere to be seen. That's when I decided to go see Master Fu, to look for some guidance on what to do. I expected to hand over my Miraculous, but he wanted me to keep it. I know that as long as I have it, it'll someday bring me back to you, and our beautiful city. Meeting you changed my life in a way that I hadn't thought imaginable. My very dark and lonely world had brightened on that very first day, because of you. Thank you for giving me everything I never had, Ladybug.
> 
> P.S. My Kwami, Plagg, wanted me to tell your Kwami, "It's Rome all over again." Whatever that means. And please don't mind the Camembert smell of this note, Plagg will eat nothing but and got it all over the paper.
> 
> Love,  
>  Your Chaton

Marinette couldn't get through that letter without crying, as hard as she tried to otherwise. Tikki had appeared on Marinette's shoulder while she was reading the letter, hoping to provide her with some comfort.

"So he's just gone? And I'll never know when, or if, I'll see him again?" Marinette stared down at the letter, unable to pull her eyes away from it.

"I am so sorry, Ladybug... Sometimes life gets in the way. This is not the first time one of those I have chosen has had to leave the city they protect. Like Chat Noir said, as long as he has that Miraculous, you will see him again."

Marinette quickly put the note on the table and glanced out the window.

"Now that Chat Noir is currently, er, unavailable, I know you are probably worried about saving Paris alone, but you will not have to. I will be giving out my remaining Miraculous, so you'll have a team to help you... And that includes my own," he let out a brief sigh, after all, he had been with Wayzz for many decades. It was hard letting go.

"But Master!" piped up Wayzz. "What will happen to you if you give it up?"

Master Fu chuckled, his eyes gleaming. He clearly had expected this reaction. Tikki even looked concerned.

"Do not worry! I will be just fine. Besides, I admit that I am too old to transform. If it is a question of my health, it is not the Miraculous that keeps me young," he gave a secretive wink.

"Now! Ladybug, I will be handing out the Turtle, Fox, and Bee Miraculous. Chat Noir told me of the Volpina incident, and that it would be wise of me to inform you ahead of time of my decision."

"You talked to Chat Noir about this?" she whispered, snapping out of the slight stupor she was in, looking away from the window and back to the old man.

"Yes. He thinks a team would be a good idea, as do I. He wants to make sure that 'someone always has your back,'" he said with a smile, then added, "but he also seemed worried that one of them will take his place."

"No one could ever take his place," Marinette said quietly.

_So this is what it feels like to lose your best friend..._

"I'll be handing the Miraculous out later today, you should be meeting your new team soon."  
Marinette nodded, unsure of what to say.

This was wrong. Strangers would be helping her save Paris, instead of her partner.  
No more ridiculous cat puns that drove her crazy, though she secretly loved them. No more of Chat's lame attempts at flirting. No more bugging Ladybug, wondering who she was under the mask.

Shortly after their discussion about her new team, she was back in her room, sitting at her desk, her sketchpad still open with her newest project idea scribbled down.

"I can't imagine saving Paris without Chat Noir, Tikki. No matter who else I have helping me," Marinette voiced glumly. She thought and felt like it couldn't be possible.

"I know, Marinette. You two are like Yin and Yang. You complete each other. That's why Master Fu chose you both. There's no one else out there that would've been a better partner for you. But you'll make this work. I've seen how you've handled situations all year, with or without the mask, and I have no doubt that you can do it," she said with confidence. She knew just what Marinette was capable of, even if she didn't know it herself.

"Thanks Tikki," Marinette forced a smile, and pat her Kwami on the head.

Ladybug wasn't worried she couldn't save Paris with the help of her new team. Ultimately, she was worried she'd never see the messy-haired blonde boy, with his striking green eyes again.

_Her Chaton._


	2. Carapace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be uploading a new chapter every day for the next month, or maybe even two a day if I get a demand for it, since I've already gotten most of this fic written. So let me know in the comments what you think!

School started the next morning, and miraculously, Marinette was actually on time for once.

She sat down next to Alya, in the row behind where Nino was already sitting, just like the year before.

Adrien's seat, however, was empty.

"Have you heard anything from Adrien?" Marinette asked Nino worryingly, but he just shook his head in silence.

Mrs. Bustier walked in a couple of minutes later to start class.

"I have some start of the year announcements," she began when the class fell silent.  
"First off, and I'm sad to say this... Adrien is no longer attending Collège Françoise Dupont."

Marinette's heart completely sank as the words registered in her mind, her eyes wide with horror, and her mouth had popped open in shock.  
A look of shock flashed across Nino's face as well, before his anger got the better of him.

"What do you _mean_ Adrien's not coming back to school?!" he demanded, pounding his fist on the table.

"His father called and notified us, they've apparently flown out of the country and won't be returning this year," she replied, and without skipping a beat, began her other announcements.

But Marinette didn't hear another word, nor did Nino.  
Alya watched as the two people she cared about most, hurt over the loss of their friend. And there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Chloé looked like she was going to cry, but the three hadn't paid any attention to her. Sabrina was trying to comfort her friend, but Chloe made it clear she needed space.

Marinette slowly raised her hand.  
"Mrs. Bustier, may I go to the restroom?" she said quietly, her voice slightly shaky.

"M-me too?" Nino stuttered.

"Oh, oh of course," she said sympathetically.

"May I go as well?" Alya asked, gesturing towards Marinette and Nino, who had just walked out the door.

"Yes, and tell them that I'd like to talk to them when class is over," Mrs. Bustier added gently.

They stopped in the locker area, just outside of the bathrooms.

"How could he leave like that, without even telling us?" Nino wondered, sitting down on a bench.

"Maybe his father wouldn't let him?" Alya suggested, sounding irritated. "You know him, he probably thought this way was in Adrien's 'best interest,'" she said in a mocking tone.

Marinette sat on the opposite side of the bench, at the end, facing away from the couple. Alya was leaning her head on Nino's shoulder, holding his hand.

"You okay, Marinette?" Alya asked delicately.

Marinette just shook her head, Alya however, hadn't seen the gesture.

"Of course she's not, Alya. If I'm not okay, how could Marinette be?"

"Nino!" hissed Alya. Marinette wasn't supposed to know that Nino knew about her crush on Adrien and that Alya was the one who told him all about it.

"It's fine, Alya. I know he knows, it's alright," she muttered, all the happiness had been drained out of her usually cheerful and bubbly voice.

"You seemed strange this morning before we found out about Adrien. Is there something else going on?" she questioned, very concerned for her best friend, who was behaving very out of character, and rightfully so. But still, she could sense something else was going on.

"No, nothing else. I was just a little tired, that's all," she attempted a smile, though it physically hurt her to try.

"If you say so," Alya shrugged, though her tone clearly said she didn't believe her.

"Well I think I should get back. Mrs. Bustier said she wants to talk to you both after class. Come back if you're feeling up to it," she told them, before leaving them to grieve.

"Are you really alright, Marinette?" Nino asked, his face full of sadness and worry.

"No... No, I'm not, Nino. I just didn't want Alya to worry, or to tell me everything will be okay. It's not okay. This isn't okay," Marinette brought her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.

"No, it's not," Nino agreed and put his hand on her arm in comfort.

Marinette recognized the blue bracelet Nino was wearing immediately. The turtle was very distinct and unique.

It belonged to Master Fu, or at least, it had.

"That bracelet..." Marinette pointed to it, her mouth open in shock.

"Oh! This? Yeah, I got it over break, hahaha." Nino scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"It's a Miraculous!"

"What? No, it's - hey... How do you know what a Miraculous looks like?" he questioned, his eyes becoming slits in suspicion.

Marinette slowly gave him a sheepish little grin and pointed towards her earrings.  
It took a moment for it to click.

"L-Ladybug?!" Nino exclaimed, taken aback.

"Shhhh! Yes, I'm Ladybug," she whispered, trying without success to cover his mouth with her hand while looking around the room, hoping no one overheard it.

"No way! This is amazing! I knew I was going to be seeing you soon, but I had no idea I already knew you!"

"Nino! Volume!" hissed Marinette.

"Sorry. This is so cool!" he whispered excitedly, he was almost giddy at this point.

Marinette smiled, but then she remembered why Nino was given a Miraculous in the first place, and her smile quickly faded.

"What's wrong? Is it Adrien?"

She glared at him. "It wasn't until you reminded me."

"Oh. Sorry..." Nino looked down at his wrist and started playing around with his Miraculous.

"No, it's Chat Noir. I didn't realize how much I really cared about him... until he was gone," she managed to choke out. "He's my best friend, Nino."

"Geez, you've lost them both at once, haven't you?" It dawned on him just how hard of a time she must be having. "No wonder you aren't okay, I wouldn't be either."

Her eyes began to tear up, her heart throbbed and ached. She'd always heard how horrible it was to lose one person you loved, but two?  
Nino put his arm around her, and she leaned into his chest, hiding her face.

"Would it help if we talked strictly about Team Miraculous stuff?" he asked, hoping to get her to somehow smile again.

"Team Miraculous?" she croaked, moving her face enough away from Nino's chest to glance up at him.

"Yeah. You know, we're holders of Miraculous, and we'll be a team..." Nino trailed off awkwardly.

"Huh. Yeah, I guess we should talk about that..." Marinette wiped her eyes and straightened up a little.  
"Well...first of all, we can't be calling each other by our civilian names when we're suited up, obviously. We also have to make the other heroes, and everyone else believe that we only know each other in the suits. What's your hero name?" Marinette asked, curious to know what he came up with.

"Um, well I was thinking Carapace..." he trailed off, still sounding unsure of himself.

"If you like it, then stick with it! Carapace it is, nice to meet you," she shook Nino's hand, and smiled.

"There's that smile! So, no calling you Marinette, and no calling me Nino when we're suited up. Even if it's just us."

"Right."

They were both silent a moment, before Nino's curiosity couldn't be contained any longer.

"Hey...," he began hesitantly, "am I the only one that knows you're Ladybug?"

"Besides my Kwami, and Master Fu? Yes."

"Not even... _he_ knows?" he emphasized, clearly trying not to say Chat's name to avoid upsetting her.

"No, he doesn't. But he sure wanted to," Marinette smirked, remembering how many times he tried to get her to tell him even the smallest hint of who she was beneath the mask.

"Do you know who he really is?"

"I have no idea," she shrugged.

"Bummer."

"I'm totally okay with not knowing," she said matter-of-factly, but her face said otherwise.

"Uh-huh. Sure," Nino said, raising an eyebrow.

"I think I'm ready to go back to class. How about you?" Marinette sat up quickly, hoping to stop talking about Chat Noir.

"I'm ready," he said, standing up.

"Not one word to Alya?" she wanted reassurance their conversation would remain between them.

"Not a word," he agreed.


	3. Accidental Reveal

When school was over several hours later, Marinette and Nino had gone in to speak with Mrs. Bustier. Alya waited in front of the school for them, as the group of friends were all going to go to the Dupain-Cheng's bakery to enjoy some sweets after a hard day.

Nino and Marinette walked out of the school, with envelopes in their hands.

"What's that?" Alya asked, pointing to the envelope in Nino's hand.

"It's from Adrien. Apparently, he had his bodyguard give these to Mrs. Bustier to give to us," replied Nino.

"Wow, he really must not be able to stay in contact with us, if he decided to leave letters," Alya said in almost disgust. "What do they say?"

"We haven't opened them, yet," Marinette responded, and sounding very hesitant to do so.

"How about later? Those cookies and croissants are calling my name!" Alya exclaimed, running toward the bakery.

Marinette and Nino glanced at each other. She sighed before jogging toward home.

After eating enough pastries, cookies, and croissants to make them nearly sick, the trio started talking, about everything. Everything except Adrien, of course. Chat would have been left out of the conversation if it had been up to Nino, but given Alya runs the Ladyblog, it was only a matter of time before he was brought up.

Nino did his best to steer her away from the conversation when he saw Marinette clutch at her chest at the mention of Chat's name.

As much as she loved her friends, Marinette was very relieved when they left.  
Only moments after they went home, she told her parents that she was tired, and was going to turn in early. An excuse she used a lot. What she really wanted was to get out, and explore the city as Ladybug. To feel the rush of freedom, the exhilaration that came with the costume. To maybe distract herself from the pain that had settled in her heart.

With a few swings of her magical yo-yo, she had reached the Eiffel Tower. A few jumps later, and she was standing at the very top, overlooking all of Paris.

 _Why did you leave me? How could you leave me?_ Marinette thought, both Chat Noir and Adrien flooded through her mind.

 _I need you... We need you.._.  
"I can't do this without you," she whimpered.

Ladybug stood, overlooking the famous city of lights at twilight. Even the most beautiful city in the world lost its appeal.

Tears began to fight their way out as she slumped down, curling herself up into a ball.  
Chat Noir was gone, and Adrien, too. It was like Marinette's world was crashing down around her. She didn't even see it coming.

It didn't make any sense, how both of them would leave her at the same time. Of course, Adrien didn't have a bond with Marinette that would keep him there. She really had no right to even ask why he left, as much as she felt she needed to know.

But Chat Noir has a bond with Ladybug. One that was more than just the magic at work. At least, that's what she had always thought.

"Stupid cat," Ladybug mumbled, her head leaning against her knees.

A half an hour had been spent on top of the Eiffel Tower before she decided to head back home, and get some rest. Only, once she was back in her very pink room, she felt the sudden urge to go to her desk, and reread Chat's letter.

Marinette read through it twice, before she let out a defeated sigh.

"Have you read Adrien's letter yet, Marinette?" Tikki suddenly asked, startling her. Marinette hadn't realized she had been hovering over her shoulder.

"Oh- uh no. I haven't been able to bring myself to read it."

"I think you should," Tikki squeaked, zooming toward the letter to bring it to Marinette.

"Alright," she took the envelope from the little Kwami, and removed what was inside.

Marinette took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She wasn't prepared to read what he had to say to her but now was as good a time as any. With another sigh, she unfolded the letter.

> Dear Marinette,
> 
> You were the first person I actually called a friend, a real friend. Did you know that? It was something I hadn't been able to do before. I mean, there was Chloé, but you know how she is. Anyway, I wanted you to know that, and to thank you. Besides Nino, you were the only person who actually cared about me, despite how we met. I'm really sorry about that, again. I know you've always seemed uncomfortable around me, but I hope it's nothing I did.
> 
> Mrs. Bustier probably told you all that we've left the country, but I want to tell you everything.
> 
> My father has work to do in America, and of course, I have to go with him since I'm his model. And believe me, I begged him to let me stay with Nathalie and my bodyguard, but it unsurprisingly didn't work.  
>  I have always wanted to visit New York, it seems like such an interesting city, I just didn't want to see it like this. I'm not sure how long I'll be away, I could be back as soon as next year, even. Or away until I'm old enough to be on my own. But no matter how long it is, I will come home to France. I'm hoping that when that day comes, you'll still consider me a friend. I unfortunately won't be able to keep in contact much at all, my father has already gotten me a new phone, new number, and has forbidden me to add you guys as my contacts, but I'll be sending a letter out to Nino when I get the chance, and I'll make sure to put in one for you, too.
> 
> I still have that good luck charm you gave me. I hope you don't mind if I hold onto it a bit longer. I'd like to think that it'll bring me luck.
> 
> Say hello, and goodbye to your parents for me. And please thank them for their kindness, I felt so at home when I was over at your house. They certainly are the best bakers in Paris, I'll miss their croissants. But I'm not going to say goodbye to you, or to Nino. It's not goodbye, really. I'll see you again.
> 
> P.S. Please keep designing, and keep creating. You'll become a famous designer one day, Marinette. You're too talented not to. Don't give up!  
>  And thank you for the scarf, it's beautiful.
> 
> Fondly,  
>  Adrien

Marinette analyzed every bit of that letter, commenting on each sentence to Tikki.  
She was feeling something that she hadn't in days: hope.  
She was promised a letter from him, whenever he could send it. And she had the reassurance that this wasn't forever. Adrien would come back home again, he'd see her again.  


He had even praised her designing talent.

Tears streamed down Marinette's face, only this time, they were happy tears. The heavy weight in her heart, the emptiness in her chest, and the pain in her stomach had eased some at this letter. And in a way, she was completely elated. Sure, she knew in time it would fade, but she felt too happy at the moment to care. She had gone off in her own little world, imagining seeing Adrien again, when Tikki brought her out of it.

"Marinette! Look!" Tikki gasped, pointing at the letter from Chat Noir.  
Marinette moved it, so it sat next to Adrien's letter.

The handwriting was identical.

"What? How-?" Marinette brought both sheets of paper close to her face, going back and forth between the letters, examining them.

"They've both left Paris, they've both left you a note, and they both have the exact same handwriting!"

"Yeah, but that could still be a coincidence...right?"

Tikki glared at her, a glare that clearly screamed _"Are you kidding me?!"_

Marinette was quiet, accessing all the memories she had of both boys. She hadn't realized all the times she had subconsciously put together their similarities.  
Flashes came at her.

The time she saved Paris from Mr. Pigeon, and Chat Noir was extremely allergic to the feathers that flew through the air that day. Later that afternoon, Adrien admitted to his feather allergy after sneezing from the one on her derby hat design.

Adrien went up to Marinette in school to ask her what she thought of Chat Noir, wanting her to think highly of him. Afterward, she wondered why he cared what she thought of Chat Noir of all people.

Chat Noir and Adrien were never in the same place at the same time. The incidents with Volpina, Horrificator, and Timebreaker proved that. Chat always acted strangely when she (as Marinette or Ladybug) mentioned Adrien, and he'd come up with some excuse why Adrien wasn't there. He acted about as weird as she did when asked questions that could lead to the person asking figuring out who she really was.

Adrien and Chat Noir like Ultimate Mecha Strike III. Chat Noir knows all the kids' names in their class. They both had blonde hair, green eyes. Some of their mannerisms were even similar.

She looked back at both letters when she noticed a faint pattern on both sheets. It was a very simple design, but the quality of the paper was far superior to what you'd be able to buy at the store. The pattern had "GA" woven in small letters at the very bottom.

"Gabriel Agreste," she breathed, tracing her finger along the letters.

"Adrien is Chat Noir. Chat Noir is Adrien. They're the same person?" she honestly couldn't believe that this could be true, so it came out like a question.

"But Adrien's so quiet, and serious. And Chat Noir is... so not. He's extremely outgoing and says whatever comes to mind, and that includes some pretty awful puns."

"Yes Marinette, but it's just like you and Ladybug. You're always saying that you're clumsy and uncertain as yourself, but when you're Ladybug, you're far from clumsy, and you're very confident. That's because the mask allows you to be who you really want to be. Not to say that who you are as Marinette, and who he is as Adrien aren't who you two are, it's just part of you who are!" Tikki pointed out excitedly.  
"Now, tell me Marinette, how do you feel about Chat Noir? I know you love Adrien, but do you love Chat Noir, too?"

Marinette thought for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders.

"Come on, I saw that diary entry you wrote that day. You said, 'maybe I'd see Chat Noir differently if there was no Adrien,' so what if they're the same person?"

Marinette's face went red, she put her fist against her mouth and turned her head, facing away from Tikki.

"That face says it all. You like him even more now that you realize they're actually one person," Tikki stated, her little arms crossed. "Now all that's left to figure out is, are you going to tell him you know that he's Chat Noir?"


	4. Team Miraculous

Nino ran up to Marinette as she climbed the stairs to her school the next morning. She had gotten little sleep, considering the previous day's developments, but she managed to make it to day two of being on time to school. He could tell she was exhausted, but it's not like he hadn't seen her about as tired before. If he had to guess, a lot of it was because of her Ladybug duties, now that he thought about it. But it wasn't what caused her to have those dark circles and droopy eyes today.

As Nino opened his mouth to ask her if she was feeling alright, Marinette raised her hand, "don't worry, Nino, I'll be fine. I just had a lot to take in."  
If only he knew everything. If he realized his best bud was, in fact, Chat Noir, it would blow his mind, too.

"Alright, whatever you say," he decided it would be best to leave it at that.

"Well, I'm so looking forward to transforming, y'know?" Nino started up again after a minute of silence. Marinette grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the edge of the stairs.

"Nino, we can't talk about this in public. My house only, and when no one else is around. It'll be extremely dangerous if Hawkmoth, or someone else finds out who we are."

"I got it, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited. I always wondered what it must be like, after seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir save the day all the time," grinning from ear to ear, you could tell the fact he had been chosen to be one of Paris' new superheroes helped dull the pain of missing his best friend.

The look on his face made Marinette smile. It made her happy to think that in the midst of losing Chat, and losing Adrien, there was still some good that came of it. What made it bearable was knowing he was coming back.

She knew it wouldn't be easy, for either her or Nino. It would take some getting used to, walking into class every day to Adrien's empty seat. Marinette also had no idea what fighting off an akuma with someone other than Chat would be like, but Tikki had faith in her. And she wouldn't be left to fight on her own.

Halfway through the day, the class heard screams outside in the courtyard. A girl with a shrill voice was cackling like mad, clearly upset with one of her friends.  
She was dressed in mostly white, with glittery golden vertical stripes. It was unclear what her motive was, or what her powers were, but Marinette wasn't going to hang around to find out.

She ran into an empty classroom, and called Tikki out.  
"Another akuma attack, Tikki! Spots on!"

Ladybug burst out of the room, heading towards the sound of the screams and chaos. When she found the akumatized victim, Carapace was already there.

He had an Emerald colored mask, that replaced his glasses, and of course, his hat was gone, so you could see his dark brown hair. The color of his costume was the same as his mask, and skin-tight, just like hers and Chat Noir's, only he wore a shield on his back that resembled a turtle's shell.

"Carapace!" Ladybug called, running up to him.

"Ladybug, glad you're here. I've put together that she's upset over her friend ditching her for someone else. The item the akuma is in is that thing in her hair," he pointed at the gold barrette she had in her dark brown hair.

"How'd you figure that out so quickly, Carapace?" Ladybug blinked, very pleasantly surprised at how efficient he was.

"I was told my intelligence gets quite the boost once I transform. It's one of my abilities, I suppose."

"Well it sure comes in handy! Great job," she praised him, patting him on the shoulder.

Suddenly, a blur of orange shot by them, distracting the akuma, as well as Carapace and Ladybug.

"I'll distract her, get the akuma, Ladybug!" the girl in the fox costume hollered. Apparently one of her abilities was super speed.

Ladybug shook her head to clear it, and jumped up behind the girl, grabbing her pin before she could even figure out what was going on.

Ladybug broke the object, setting the akuma free. She easily captured it, purifying the butterfly before setting it free. She hadn't even needed to use her Lucky Charm this time. Granted, she probably could've handled this one on her own as she was pretty tame in comparison to past akumas, but she was glad she had the help nonetheless.

And because she hadn't used her Lucky Charm, she was free to stay Ladybug for as long as she wanted, and that gave her time to talk to Carapace and the holder of the Fox Miraculous.

"We have a lot to talk about," Ladybug told them both after she had talked the akumatized victim's problem out with her. The girl had been feeling like her friend preferred spending time with others than with her, but in reality, they had all been secretly planning a surprise for her. A simple misunderstanding.

Carapace and the holder of the Fox Miraculous began following Ladybug up to the school's roof before they heard someone calling them.

"Wait!" shouted a voice, a girl was running towards them. She wore a yellow skin-tight suit, with black stripes, forming the shape of a V around her torso. Her mask was yellow and black as well. She had what looked to be something similar to Ladybug's yo-yo hanging on her hip.

"I'm sorry I was late, I couldn't find anywhere safe to transform. I'm still new to this," she huffed, hunched over with her hands on her knees.

"Don't worry, it was an easy akuma this time. I'd like to talk to you all if you don't mind?" Ladybug asked them all, glancing at the holder of the Bee Miraculous.

"Not at all!" said the girl, looking up at her like it was her dream to be there with Ladybug.

They used their own ways of getting up on the roof. Of course, Ladybug used her yo-yo, Carapace used some sort of grappling hook, the Fox girl used her speed, and the Bee girl's yo-yo (or what appeared to be so) actually contained a sticky substance that could morph and expand into anything, and in this case, a ramp to the roof. Surprisingly, once she had reached the top, the sticky stuff disintegrated.

"I don't know if any of you know this, but Chat Noir's away, and we're not sure when he'll be back. He and The Guardian thought it would be best to call upon some new heroes to help me. We're a team now-"

"Team Miraculous," Carapace cut in, quite proudly that he came up with the name.

"Uh, right, Team Miraculous," she said, giving Carapace a look before turning to the girls. "And I'm looking forward to working with you all."

The Fox and Bee holders looked like they could hardly contain themselves. They were working with Ladybug, and getting to talk to her in a setting that wasn't dire. Ladybug quickly realized these two were fans of hers and started feeling a little bit awkward.

"I'm sorry Ladybug, I'm just such a huge fan! I'm Rena Rouge by the way," she added with a slight wave.  
"And I'm Queen B," exclaimed the other, who seemed to have a harder time than Rena Rouge keeping cool. "I absolutely IDOLIZE you, Ladybug. I always wanted to be able to save the day, just like you," she grinned, Queen B was clearly the happiest about her new life of the three, though she'd peg Carapace for being a close second.

"Oh, well thank you Rena Rouge, and Queen B. From this point on, I'm a teammate and a friend. There's no need to idolize me, you'll be saving Paris from now on, too. You'll have your own admirers before you know it," replied Ladybug shyly. She was never one to like attention brought to her. She quickly changed the topic to a more serious matter.

"Chat Noir and I had to learn how to be heroes on our own, we didn't get any help figuring things out, other than what our Kwami's told us. If you need help in any way, please don't be afraid to come to me."

The three new heroes nodded, their attention solely focused on Ladybug.

"When I first found out I was Ladybug, I was far from confident. I had no idea what I was doing, and my first meeting with Chat Noir ended up with me hurdling through the air, unfortunately crashing into him. I was afraid of messing up, so much so that I almost gave up being Ladybug. But what kept me going was seeing those I care about in danger. I realized I was more than capable of saving Paris, and that the city relied on me. I want you to remember that you're new to this. You may even feel like you're not good enough, that there was a mistake when The Guardian chose you. But there wasn't a mistake. You are good enough. It's just going to take some time figuring out how your powers work and getting used to fighting akumas."

Queen B looked like she was going to cry, Ladybug's words touched her. Rena Rouge gave a round of applause, and Carapace had a grin on his face, looking very proud of Ladybug.

"That was very motivational, Ladybug," Carapace praised.

"Thank you, I think it's what needed to be said. This is new for all of us. I may have the experience, but I've always worked with Chat Noir, so I too will have to adjust to how things are... Oh! Before I forget," Ladybug facepalmed, almost forgetting one of the more important points she wanted to bring up.  
"Chat Noir and I usually go on patrol around the city every couple of days, to make sure nothing's going on. Typically, it's a calm day, and we can spend some time taking in the city, but it's still important we meet up. Hopefully, that'll work for you all."

"Ah, totally!" Queen B squealed, practically jumping up and down on the spot.

"Well, I normally focus on a hobby of mine in my free time, but this is better. I'll be there," Rena winked.

She reminded Ladybug of Alya just a bit.

"Of course I'm in," Carapace grinned, holding out his hand.

"Team Miraculous?" he asked the girls. They glanced at one another, before putting their hands together. The newly formed team threw their hands up, exclaiming "Team Miraculous!" before they went their separate ways to detransform and resume their day.


	5. Chaton in New York

"I wonder how Ladybug's doing?" Adrien thought aloud one day during his free time in his gigantic and lonely room.

"Well, she's either saving Paris or doing whatever normal teenage girls do," Plagg replied dully. He could never understand Adrien's fascination, er, obsession with Ladybug.

"If she's saving Paris, it should be on the Ladyblog!" this realization excited him, he quickly ran over to his brand new computer, to take a look at the website. His desk chair nearly crashed into the wall with how quickly he sat down in it.

"Hello Parisians! I'm Rose-"

"-and I'm Juleka-"

"-and we're the new reporters of the Ladyblog! Don't worry, Alya still has an important role on the website, but things have gotten a bit busy for her, so she has asked us to fill in for awhile!" said Rose brightly.

Footage of Ladybug, and three superheroes Adrien had never seen before were talking to the press after an akuma attack.

"Ladybug! Ladybug!" cried a woman, holding a microphone up to her. "Is it true? Is Chat Noir no longer saving Paris from akuma attacks?"

Adrien saw sadness flash upon Ladybug's face, but only for a moment. She quickly composed herself and put on the persona she had when talking to the press.  
Before she could answer though, the guy in the turtle suit stepped up and answered the question for her.

"Chat Noir is currently unable to partake in his superhero duties, and it's unknown when he'll be able to resume them. Though, he will be back," he added in, quite seriously.

"That's right, I'll be back," muttered Adrien. He glared at the guy, and watched as he put a hand on Ladybug's shoulder.  
"Who does this guy think he is, anyway?" his hand waved toward the screen, a hint of venom in his tone.

"Carapace," Plagg replied as if it was the answer Adrien wanted.

"That's not what I meant, it was a rhetorical question," he sat with his arms crossed, sinking down in his chair.

"Ohh, are you jealous?" Plagg taunted, seeming very amused by Adrien's discomfort.

"Psh," was all he said. He was quiet for a moment, and then he exploded.  
"Look at him! Being all protective of her, speaking for her. She can speak for herself!" he sounded more and more outraged with every word.  
"And he shouldn't be putting his hand on her shoulder like that! He doesn't even know her!"

"Whoa, kid, calm down. What did you expect? You knew other people were going to be given Miraculous to help Ladybug. Did you not think that some of them could end up being boys?"

Adrien looked awkwardly away from his Kwami.

"You pictured a bunch of Ladybugs saving Paris, didn't you?"

"Shut up, Plagg."

Plagg chuckled, before grabbing a piece of Camembert and floating off to enjoy it in peace. He left Adrien staring at the screen. The superheroes, Rena Rouge, Queen B, and Carapace were getting interviewed for the first time.

He picked up on the fact that Rena Rouge was a little shy and timid, probably just nervous considering dealing with the media, and being a new superhero was a huge change from life before. Queen B seemed like a very kind, and bubbly person. He thought Ladybug would definitely get along with these two. And Carapace was very wise, and made it clear that helping his team save Paris was his number one priority.

Yet Adrien loathed this guy. He knew he should be thankful Ladybug wasn't fighting alone, that she had such great people to have her back, but every time he saw him, he felt a burning in his chest. He had only felt it once before, when Theo, the sculptor that ended up becoming the akumatized victim Copycat, expressed his admiration and love for Ladybug to Chat Noir. Only this time, it was much, much worse.

She was thousands of miles away from him, he had only been gone a couple of weeks, and some guy was already there, taking his place.  
His heart sunk more and more, the longer he spent dwelling on it. He pictured Carapace flirting with her like he used to. What if she didn't push him away like she used to do to him?

"I need some air," Adrien said quietly, rising from his chair. Usually, that meant it was time to transform.

"You have to be careful about transforming here, Adrien. If someone recognizes you, it could have serious consequences back in Paris. I'm not going to stop you from transforming, but you have to be careful." Plagg was never really one to give serious advice, so when he did, Adrien knew it was important for him to follow it.

"I'll stay low, don't worry. I'd leave as myself, but there's no way I'm getting out of here without the help of Chat. Plagg claws out!"

With the quick push on his window, Chat slipped out of his house, and into the city of New York. It had its own unique charm, but it wasn't anything close to home. The buildings were old but not as old as those in Paris, and the architecture was a completely different style. The city's most famous landmark was surrounded by water, so he had no way of getting there quickly, or easily. But it was probably for the best, he was much more likely to be spotted on top of the Statue of Liberty.

Chat Noir quickly realized that New York was massive. It had to be several times bigger than Paris and much more populated. He wondered if New York had a superhero, as he couldn't recall hearing about any in other parts of the world.

Just then, he witnessed a flashing light in the sky. It was just above the buildings, going straight across. It was flying too close to the ground and was too small, and too fast to be a plane. The light it gave off was a vivid pink. Definitely not natural.

Chat Noir followed the pink light as stealthily as he could, and as a result, he couldn't keep up.

By the time he reached the crowd of people below, any chaos that might've been had passed. He saw a girl in a pink and white suit, and mask floating in the air, waving at the crowd before flying off.

 _America does have superheroes!_ Chat Noir gawked at where the girl had been just a minute prior. As strange as this city was to him, it had one major thing in common that made him feel a little more at home.

That's when it hit him, he had a photoshoot to go to at 4 PM, and he had already been gone way too long.

With a grunt, Chat Noir retraced his steps, and found his way back to his new home. Only minutes after he detransformed did Nathalie come in, letting him know it was time to escape his prison of a bedroom for his shoot.


	6. The Secret Life of Chloé Bourgeois

How awful could your life be when you were the daughter of one of the world's most well-known mayors? It couldn't possibly be that bad, you'd think.

Chloé had come home from school that day very upset after learning Adrien was no longer in Paris. The only real friend she felt she had, was gone. Of course, she had Sabrina, but she suspected she'd ditch her if someone more popular and rich came along.

Angry, she plopped down on her bed, expressing her hurt and anger with a groan.  
Then she spotted a little black box, shaped like an octagon, with an intricate red pattern on the top, sitting on her nightstand.

"What's this?" Chloé wondered aloud. "Could it be something from Daddy?"

As she opened the box, it emanated a yellow glow, startling Chloé so much that she dropped the box on the floor. She shrieked and screamed, cowering against her headboard, using her pillows as a shield.

A little yellow figure appeared, with a strong resemblance to a bee. A very furry bee.

"A GIANT BEE THING!" cried Chloé, as she lunged off her bed, heading for the door.

"No, wait!" called the creature, buzzing toward the terrified girl. "I'm a friend," it said gently.

 _Friend_. The word made Chloé stop in her tracks, her hollering and shrieking ceased.

"You're a... friend?" she asked, her tone flooding with sadness.

"Yes, I'm a friend. My name's Pollen, it's nice to meet you, Chloé!" she exclaimed genuinely.

"How do you know my name?" the girl asked curiously, walking toward the little bee creature.

"I know all about you. I'm a Kwami, and I can give you the power to become a superhero, to save Paris."

"Just like Ladybug?" her voice went up an octave or two, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Just like Ladybug," Pollen confirmed, spinning around Chloé, her excitement contagious.

"Wow, I always dreamed I could be, but I never thought someone like me would actually be able to become a superhero," she sat back down on the edge of her bed, her new friend sitting in her hands, looking up at her with the biggest little grin.

"The Guardian knows all about you, Chloé. He knows that you're lonely and that your father never has the time to spend with you, so he buys you anything you want to make up for it. He knows that you take out your hurt and anger on others. But maybe most importantly of all, he's seen how much you admire Ladybug. That you can forgive, and be compassionate to someone else. You're not a bad person."

"I know I am. I end up causing akuma attacks, Pollen, that's not superhero material at all!"

"Maybe not," Pollen agreed, "but you know Ladybug and Chat Noir have caused akumas themselves. You were one of them, I was told. Nobody's perfect, but what you have to do is be the best that you can be, and try to do good."

"Don't you mean do well?" Chloé asked.

"No, do _good_ ," Pollen emphasized, it was very important she understood the distinction. "You have to be kind, and helpful. Do good in the world, whether that's saving citizens of Paris from deranged villains, or helping out a classmate that's having a bad day."

"I never thought of it like that," she said thoughtfully. It really had never occurred to her, that she could have such an effect on others. That she could help keep people from feeling like her.

"It's so hard, Pollen, to be nice to people, when you feel so awful inside," her voice was pained. All of what she held trapped in her heart was spilling over, and for the first time in a long time, she began to cry.

Pollen nuzzled her cheek, murmuring kind and gentle words to her until there wasn't a tear left for Chloé to cry.

"Things will get better Chloé, I promise. Just wait and see."

The next day at school, Chloé wore the Miraculous pin in her hair, hidden beneath her ponytail. Not like anyone would be able to recognize it, but she thought it would be better to play it safe.  
She had had a long night, including a test of her new superhero alter-ego. Chloé had also promised Pollen that she would start to make amends for all the things she's said and done, but she knew that wasn't going to be easy, or quick.

There were two people in that classroom she wanted to be on good terms with more than anyone else. Marinette, because she had always been jealous of her. She wanted to be kind, confident, brave, and talented like she was. She admired her nearly as much as she did Ladybug. It was then that Chloé knew that she could be all of those things too if she just took the time to figure it out.

And Nathaniel, who she secretly liked for reasons she couldn't really explain. He was the quiet, awkward kid that sat in the back of the class. He was always working on his comics when he could get away with it, and tended to keep to himself outside of class. The two had barely spoken directly to each other in the years she knew him, but she had caused him to become an akumatized victim, and she knew he didn't have good feelings towards her.

Chloé debated which of the two she'd try to make amends with first. She had taken a few steps towards Nathaniel before she chickened out when Nathaniel glanced up at her, and turned to Marinette instead.

"Marinette!" Chloé nearly shouted, feeling very uncomfortable. She could feel her face had gone red.  
"Are you alright?" Marinette asked, clearly concerned. This was very unusual behavior for Chloé, and the fact she was addressing Marinette was bizarre on its own.

"I'm fine!" she replied a bit too shrilly before it dawned on her at how she sounded. "Ah, I'm sorry, that probably sounded rude. I'm fine, really," she said calmly.

The entire class became silent.

"Did Chloé just apologize?!" asked Nino in utter amazement, standing up from his seat.

"I believe she did!" Max replied, sounding equally as amazed as Nino.

Chloé looked around at her classmates, all of them staring at her, a mix of shock, amazement, and concern on every face.

"I- I'm trying to be nicer, you know, turning over a new leaf and all that," she crossed her arms and looked away from the stares. "And I want to say that I'm sorry to everyone, for everything I've said to you. I took out my anger and jealousy on you all, and that was very wrong of me."

She sat down in her seat in the front of the room, embarrassed, and leaned her head on the table.

Marinette and Alya glanced at each other in surprise as the class was buzzing about Chloé.

Chloé decided to chance a look back at Nathaniel, who she found staring at her. She smiled at him before she quickly looked away. What she didn't realize was that Marinette had noticed.

 _Chloé likes Nathaniel?_ she looked back at Nathaniel, a small, crooked smile had replaced the frown he had worn earlier.

"Do you believe her, Marinette?" Alya whispered, pulling Marinette away from her thoughts.

"What? Oh. Well, Chloé wouldn't say something like that for no reason, so I believe that she does feel sorry for what she's done. If she does put in the effort to change, it's not going to change right away, but I appreciate the effort."

Alya simply shrugged her shoulders before reaching into her backpack for her schoolwork.

Marinette's arm propped her head up, as she glanced down at the empty seat that sat before her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I had originally called the Bee Kwami "Hunny", so any of you that have read this on FF will remember that. I decided to change the name to Pollen since that's her canon name. c:
> 
> Also, things really pick up in the next chapter, which I'll be posting later today, so keep a look out!


	7. Passing Time

Over a year had passed since Adrien left Paris, the starting point of when everything changed.

Chloé and Sabrina had a falling out, causing Sabrina to flock to Lila. The two to form a group that treated others at least twice as awful as Chloé ever had.

Impressed by the effort Chloé had shown to be kind to others, Marinette cautiously got to know her better, and eventually decided to spend time with her between classes and outside of school.  
Alya was totally against it at first, but she realized Chloé had seen the error of her ways and was really trying to be good. The least she could do is give her a chance.

On a fairly gloomy Parisian day, the three girls were enjoying some ice cream at a nearby ice cream parlor. Marinette was talking about her newest designs. She had found that Chloé was actually really helpful in giving her constructive criticism. Alya was a great friend in many ways, but when it came to fashion, Chloé was her go-to every time.

"I like the fraying there," she pointed at the drawing. "But I think the front needs to be a little shorter, and I'd remove the lace, except for around the shoulders."

Marinette held the drawing away from her, to get a clear view. She pictured what Chloé was suggesting, and absolutely loved the idea.

"Nice suggestions, Chloé, thanks!" she erased the things she wanted to change, and doodled in the alterations.

"So Chloé, how goes it with Nathaniel?" Alya asked slyly. She couldn't get a reaction out of Marinette about Adrien anymore. One that wasn't heartbreaking to watch, anyway.

"N-Nathaniel? I don't know what you're talking about," Chloé denied, her arms and legs crossed.

"Come on, Chloé, we see the way you look at him," chortled Marinette. "You should try talking to him."

"Says the girl who could barely get out a simple sentence when talking to Adrien," teased Alya. She realized just a bit too late that that probably wasn't the right thing to have said. Marinette's eyebrows furrowed, and the empty look her friends would sometimes catch glimpses of since Adrien left made another appearance in her eyes.

"I really don't think he likes me, " confessed Chloé, "I always catch him staring at me."

Alya burst into laughter. "Was it like this?" She went wide-eyed, looking at her quite creepily.

"Ew, no," she cringed, automatically recoiling.

"Or like this?" her expression softened.

Marinette glanced up from her book. The look on Alya's face reminded her of the way Adrien looked at her that day in the rain when he was handing her his umbrella on that stormy day. The moment she knew she loved him. _Coup de foudre_.  
She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, pretending to be intently working on her design.

"Yes, just like that," Chloé answered. "Does that mean something?"

"Of course it does!" exclaimed Alya. "When a guy looks at you like that, he's not only thinking about how beautiful you look but how much he loves who you are. Only the guys interested in your looks will look at you like a creepy stalker."

"You know, I just remembered I have some things to do at home," Marinette interrupted, collecting her books and pencils in her bag. "I'll see you guys later, al-"

A news bulletin appeared on the little screen that was mounted on the wall in the parlor.

"An akumatized victim has been spotted in southern Paris. Please stay inside your homes, until Team Miraculous has given the all clear." scrolled along the bottom of the screen.

The three girls quickly got to their feet, rushing outside. Screams could be heard several streets over.  
They looked nervously at each other before Marinette suggested that they all head for home. The other two nodded, and the three ran their separate ways.

Alya ran into an empty alleyway, ducking behind a trash can, letting her Kwami fly out of her jacket.

"What's up, Alya?" asked the little Fox Kwami.

"There's an akuma attack, we have to go," Alya insisted.

"Weeeeell," she drawled, "as long as I get some peppers after this."

"You'll get your peppers, Trixx."

"They keep me looking beautiful, you know?" she giggled.

"Riiight. Trixx, tail on!"

The Kwami was absorbed into Alya's necklace Miraculous, transforming her into Rena Rouge.

Rena ran as fast as she could in the direction she had heard the screaming. In the street, was a scrawny young man in a tight-fitting suit that appeared to be a blazer and tie. His mask had a pattern around it that resembled glasses.  
He held a computer-like device in his hands.

Carapace showed up on the scene, landing right next to Rena Rouge.

"What's up?" He asked, looking at the akumatized victim.

"I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me with that enhanced brain of yours," Rena poked Carapace's temple, which made him give her a somewhat irritated look.

"I'll see what I can figure out," he got his turtle shell shield out from behind his back, something he did when he needed to stop and think, to make sure that he wasn't in harm's way if the akuma started to attack him.

His special ability was similar to Ladybug's in the way it helped him put things together, but instead of it being to fight off the akuma with an item, it was to figure out the situation and locating the akuma, which had come in handy several times since becoming Carapace.

The akuma was in the computer he was holding, something that was obvious to him before. But what he didn't know was this man was a computer technician. He liked to build computers and create new hardware and software. Someone got under his skin about how lame computers were, and in retaliation, he wanted to show them that technology was far from lame.

His power: being able to control and manipulate technology around him.

"Oh great," Carapace muttered.

"What is it?" asked Rena.

"He can control technology. And technology is everywhere in this city. We have to stop him before he really gets started, or this is going to escalate very quickly."

Ladybug and Queen B arrived as he was finishing his sentence.

"What's going on?" Queen B asked as she jumped off her sticky, yet bouncy ramp of goo.

"Short story: He controls technology, and his akuma is in his laptop," he gestured over to the akumatized victim. "We have to get this over with fast, or else he'll be able to gain power quickly, and won't be able to be stopped."

"Got it," replied Ladybug. "Carapace, come with me. Rena Rouge and Queen B, come up from behind."

Rena Rouge and Queen B nodded their agreement before running off.

"Computer-Whiz will show you just how powerful computers can be," uttered the villain wickedly.

There was a loud roar, as pieces of technology flew through the air, forming robots in the street the size of a two-story building.

One blocked her way to the akuma, and so she thought the best way to get past it was to disable it.  
She swung her yo-yo from a nearby building, as it flung pieces of metal at her.  
Ladybug landed on top of the robot, attempting to pull it apart with the help of her magical yo-yo, but her effort was barely making a dent.

She jumped off the robot's back, landing next to Carapace.

"Those things won't come apart. I'll need to use my Lucky Charm," she said as more robots were forming in the street around them.

"Can you shield me?" she asked him, hearing a beep.

"I'm out of time. Just stall until I get back, I won't be long!" Carapace began running away, and was already several feet away when he heard a scream behind him.

He turned around to see the robot extend its hand out, the wires attaching the hand to its body wrapped around her.

Carapace quickly threw his shield at the wires, cutting her loose from the robot's grasp. But she was still tightly bound by the wires, and squirming to break free only caused her pain. Some of the wires wrapped around her neck.

"I'll get you out!" shouted Carapace, as he ran up to her as quickly as he could get his legs to move.

"But- but your Miraculous-" she choked.

"It'll be fine, don't worry," he assured her, changing the settings on his shield so the edge was one sharp razor blade. "I'm going to saw away at the wires, so don't move."

He began sawing at the loosest part of the wires he could find.  
Though they were in trouble again, when another robot came around, shooting electric bolts at them.  
Just in time, Queen B threw some of her honey-like goo in the direction of the electricity, taking the impact instead of Ladybug and Carapace.

"Thanks, Queen!" Carapace gratefully shouted.

"No prob!" she called back, fighting another robot near by.

Carapace continued cutting. After half a minute or so, Ladybug was free.

"Now go, hurry!" she shrieked, turning back toward the robot. She began swinging around the robot with her yo-yo, hoping to distract the hunk of metal without casualty.

Carapace made it to the rooftop of a nearby building just in time to be detransformed.

"Cutting it close, I see," stated Wayzz, his little turtle Kwami.

"Was- was that a _pun_?" Nino asked, astonished while pulling a strawberry out of his pocket.

"Ah, unintentionally so, I suppose," he answered, grabbing the red fruit, and began munching away.

"I don't want to rush you, but Ladybug and the others need our help," Nino glanced down toward the street nervously.

Wayzz only nodded, his mouth full of strawberry.

After a few agonizing moments for Nino, Wayzz was ready to go.

"Shell on, Wayzz!"

Carapace rushed back, ready to use his shield to give Ladybug the time she needed to not only cast the Lucky Charm, but to analyze her surroundings.

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, tossing her yo-yo in the air.

A CD with Ladybug's usual markings fell into her waiting hands. She quickly darted her eyes around, seeing Computer-Whiz's laptop, and the robot in the foreground.

"I've got to get this into the computer. Not only will it shut down the robots, but it'll free the akuma. I need you to keep this one occupied," she said, pointing up to the robot they had been dealing with the past few minutes. "And Rena Rouge, Queen B!" Ladybug shouted over to them. "Distract him!"

Ladybug broke free from the shield's protection and launched herself onto the robot. Before it could react, she swung from the nearest building and landed on the ground. The moment her feet touched the cement, she bounded toward the akuma, until she got herself in range of the laptop.  
With the flick of her wrist, she threw the disk into the laptop's disk drive.

"Wh- what?!" Computer-Whiz shouted, panicking.

His computer began sparking, and with it, all the robots around.  
The akuma flew out, and Ladybug captured it with ease.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she shouted one of her most notorious catchphrases, throwing the disk in the air.  
All the damage caused by the robots was erased. The young man's computer also repaired.

"What am I doing here?" asked the disoriented man.

The team gave out exhausted and relieved laughs.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adrien had woken up in a particularly bad mood that morning.

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I see," Plagg joked in reaction to Adrien snapping at him when he asked for his morning Camembert.

"Yeah well, I was dreaming and this thing woke me up!" he shouted angrily, pushing his alarm clock off his nightstand.

His dream happened to include Ladybug. He was Chat Noir, and they were flying through the city of Paris, completely free. No akuma attacks to worry about, they were just spending time together around the city.

They had landed on a rooftop to rest. Chat Noir being his usual flirty and punny self, expecting the usual; Ladybug rolling her eyes, and pushing him away.  
Only this time, it was different.

Ladybug giggled, her face a slight shade of red.

 _Do you try and dazzle every girl you meet, or am I just that lucky?_ Ladybug asked.

 _Only you, m'lady,_ Chat replied, he took her hand to kiss it.

She pulled her hand away, suddenly sounding serious.

_What about Marinette?_

His heart stopped at the mention of her name.

_What about her?_

_It's not only me, Chat. It's not. You flirt with her, you show off around her. Just like you do with me. You miss her, don't you? Your Princess._ Ladybug sounded sad, but almost like she accepted that there was someone else.

 _I- I mean-_ he let out a tired sigh. _I miss her. A lot._

_What's so special about her, anyway? she practically demanded by the tone of her voice._

__

Chat Noir wasn't pleased with the way she spoke about Marinette. How was Marinette NOT special?

 _Marinette's kind to everyone. She's caring. She stands up for what she believes in, even if that means trouble. She's also a very talented and dedicated designer and artist. Watching her face light up when she's talking about something she loves is absolutely the cutest thing in the world..._ he started trailing off. The colorful city around them had suddenly began to fade away.

 _And how do you feel about me, Chaton?_ she asked quietly.

Chat stood up slowly, his eyes locked on hers. He walked up to her until he was inches away.

 _I-_ he started, caressing her cheek. Her breath stopped.  
_I-_

And that was when he was rudely awakened by his alarm clock.

Adrien fairly often had dreams with Ladybug, in which he was sometimes Adrien, and sometimes Chat Noir. He could only be with her in his dreams, and when he had them, he honestly didn't want to wake up. And when he woke up, he felt the hurt and loss all over again.  
Same with the dreams of his mother. When he had those, in his dream he was always a small boy, in a beautiful field with long blades of grass blowing in the wind, trees and flowers everywhere, the vivid sunshine enhancing the world around him. In these dreams, not only was he with his mother who he missed dearly, but he was with his father. Not the Gabriel Agreste that exists today, but one that was fairly carefree, and kind. Because really, when his mother disappeared without a trace, it wasn't just his mother he lost. He lost a father. He lost his family.  
He lost his whole world.

They say you shouldn't live in the past, but how can you not when that's where you were happier than you have ever been in your life? His memories were what kept him going. He thought of his mother, of his friends, of Ladybug when things were hard. And since moving to New York, he saw his father less, and his security was harder to evade.

Adrien spent a majority of his first year in New York locked in his mansion. The only time he ever got to leave was when he was modeling his fathers new collection.

He had even written a million letters, to Ladybug, Marinette, Nino, Alya, and even Chloé. But he never sent them out.  
These letters held Adrien's deepest, most personal and painful thoughts and feelings. He found that to every good and interesting thing that happened, there were 10 times as many hard and depressing things to add. So he decided never to send them.

After lying down a few minutes post-alarm, Adrien got up to start his day. He showered, got dressed, and went down to eat. That's when he got an ounce of good news. During breakfast, Nathalie told him his photo shoots were canceled for the day, and he had a few hours to have to himself. Something he hadn't had in awhile.

"Thank you, Nathalie," he murmured politely.

He got up from the table and raced up the stairs. He was going to transform into Chat. Adrien wanted to go explore the city and get some fresh air.  
He was so eager and so desperate to be Chat again, to be able to run freely and actually live that he forgot he was supposed to be careful.

Most of the people in the city ignored him, but some took notice of a boy in a cat costume, running on top of rooftops.

"What's Chat Noir doing in New York?" came a voice from behind him.

With a gasp, Chat Noir turned around and saw the superheroine he had seen on his first outing as Chat Noir.

"Y-you!" He stuttered. "Who are you?"

The heroine landed on the roof, she had been hovering in the air, a couple feet behind Chat. Her suit was a hot pink, with white and black accents on her feet and hands. Her mask had a pink feather pattern on it.

"I'm Flamingirl, but you still haven't answered my question. Why aren't you in France?"

"Well I- " he began, but Flamingirl interrupted.

"Ladybug needs you, Chat Noir. The city of Paris needs you!"

"How do you know about me, anyway?" he asked the unknown heroine, sounding fairly suspicious.

"I watch the Ladyblog," she said with a smile. "I keep myself informed about the heroes around the world. You and Ladybug are probably the most popular foreign heroes here."

"We are?" he was very surprised. Why would they be that popular in other parts of the world?

"I've watched the dynamic of nearly every superhero and their partner, or teammates, and I've seen none like the two of you. It's admirable, really," she said, a hint of sadness on her face. "You see, my partner... well, I'll just say that he's everything to me, but he doesn't feel the same. He seems to only have eyes for a superheroine down in Miami. She has the dolphin Miraculous, go figure." Flamingirl scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Chat felt genuinely sad for the girl, but it reminded him of his relationship with Ladybug. She didn't feel the same way about him, either. "But you're wrong, Ladybug and I, we're just... we were just partners. She never saw me that way," he sat down, leaning against an old brick chimney.

"I don't know about that, Chat Noir. She may push you away, but I think she does that because she's scared. She's trying to protect herself," Flamingirl sat down in front of him, tucking some of her black hair behind her ear that came loose in the wind.  
Chat looked up and saw her eyes, they were a different shade of blue, but they were almost as piercing as Ladybug's. And come to think of it, Marinette's. His stomach rolled.

"I've been gone for so long. She has a new team now, and some new guy helping her. It's really obvious he likes her," he pouted, while he drew a circle around on the roof. "She doesn't need me."

Suddenly something struck Flamingirl, her eyes went wide.

"Did you see the Ladyblog today, Chat Noir?" she abruptly asked.

"No, why?" he could see the look of concern on her face, and began to panic. "What's wrong? Is Ladybug alright?" Chat's voice rose. "If something happened because I wasn't there, I don't..." he was pacing now, ruffling his messy hair.

Flamingirl quickly got to her feet, standing in front of him to stop him from pacing.

"No, no! She's fine! She just had a really close call this morning, that's all. Some technological akuma victim had her wrapped in some wires. Carapace and Queen B saved her. She's fine," she assured him, rubbing his arm comfortingly.

"Oh..." he relaxed, slinking down against the chimney. He suddenly couldn't feel his legs anymore.

"But that's why it's important you're there," she insisted, "I don't doubt that her team can help her handle Hawkmoth or whatever else comes their way, but I can tell when a reporter asks about you, it pains her. She's not the same without you. Despite my feelings for Grizzly - that's my partner - if I wasn't fighting villains with him, I just wouldn't be me. And I bet that's how she feels."

"I want to be there with her, so much," he whispered, his eyes glistening. "But I can't. Who I am under this mask has to stay in New York. At least for now."

She could practically see his eternal struggle on his face. Flamingirl had always admired Chat Noir very much, and she had never seen him look so lost before. She felt like she was watching a friend go through a major loss, and it broke her heart.

"Well hey, if you're going to be here awhile, you could always join me on patrols? Grizzly tags along sometimes, and I'm sure he'd be thrilled to meet you," Flamingirl nudged him in the ribs, attempting to cheer him up.

"I'd like to, but I don't want Ladybug to think I've abandoned her if she sees me fighting with other superheroes," he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Plus, for safety reasons, you know?" As much as he'd like to freely be Chat Noir, it just wasn't a good idea.

"I get it. You're Chat Noir right now, just so you can feel the freedom for awhile. To get away from it all."

"Yeah, guilty," he grinned sheepishly.

"Let me see your Miraculous communicator," she gestured for it. Chat handed it to her as she grabbed her own. She had it kept strapped around her waist, its shape like a feather. After a few moments, she handed his back. "There, all linked. If you ever do feel like joining us, just give me a ring," she winked at him before standing up. "We patrol on Tuesdays and Fridays. Sometimes the weekends if we really want to get out."

"Thank you, I will," Chat Noir managed to smile at her. "I should be getting back. Thank you for listening."

"Thank you for listening to me, too. See you later, Chat Noir," she waved, watching him run off.

"Just like me," she murmured in English.

When he was back in his room, he turned on his computer to check the Ladyblog.

"Your sweetheart's fine, why are you checking the blog?" Plagg asked, nibbling on some Camembert.

"I want to see what happened, exactly," Adrien answered, intently looking at the screen. He rest his chin in his hands.

He first saw footage of Rena Rouge and Queen B fighting a robot, managing to destroy it after a lot of effort.  
Ladybug and Carapace fought another, though they didn't have much luck. Carapace suddenly began running away from the robot, when Ladybug let out a piercing scream.  
Adrien had never heard her scream like that. It sent shivers up his spine. His entire body went cold, as if he had ice water coursing through him.

"Ladybug..." he whimpered, barely audible.

He watched Carapace cut her loose, and everything that came after. Including the interview with the press.

He noticed this akuma took an unusually long time to defeat, and that made him nervous.  
He wanted to be there to help them so much. He felt so unbelievably guilty leaving her, despite it being out of his control. That scream... it was going to haunt his dreams, he just knew it.

Adrien exited out of the Ladyblog window, and laid his head on his cold metal desk. After a moment, he glanced up, and saw his desktop background. The picture of his mother.  
What actually happened to her? No-one seems to know. If only he could find her... If she was in trouble, he was a superhero. He could rescue her, surely. The problem was, he didn't know where to start looking.

That is until he remembered his father brought the safe and portrait of his mother to America. It hung in their dining room, the safe was likely hiding behind it. Adrien didn't have enough time to look through it the last time, and with all that was going on between then and now, he had completely forgotten about it.

"Come on, Plagg. You're going to help me break into my father's safe."


	8. When In Rome

"Hey Tikki, what did Chat Noir's Kwami mean by 'it's Rome all over again'?" Marinette asked her Kwami one calm, rainy day. She had been working on some history homework, about ancient Rome, and it had left her curious.

"Oh, it's about a Ladybug and Chat Noir pair that lived in Rome. Plagg was talking about their love story."

"May I hear it?" sounding very intrigued. Marinette was a total sap for romance.

"Alright, well it started in Italy in the 1920's. A villain called Lupo Solitario came to Rome, looking to destroy the city so he could rebuild it and rule over the Romans. Master Fu had only recently arrived in Rome. He came knowing trouble was coming to Italy. There weren't superheroes living there already, so it was up to him to find someone to keep the city of Rome safe.

"Coccinella and Gatto Nero were the names of the two heroes. Coccinella was a 15-year-old girl named Aurora. Gatto Nero was a 16-year-old boy named Luka. These two actually knew each other long before they were presented with their Miraculouses.

Their families had been friends, and hoped that as they grew up, they would come to love each other and get married, joining the two families.  
Their parents' dreams were shattered when Aurora and Luka were young children. Luka had absolutely terrified Aurora. He and some of his friends found some rats in the barns nearby and chased her with them. She had such an extreme fear of rats, that she wanted nothing to do with him after that.

For years, Aurora's parents tried to convince her to give Luka another chance, but she wouldn't hear of it. Whenever she had to go near him, she would simply look the other way."

"So what changed, Tikki?" Marinette was completely enthralled with the story already.

"Master Fu tested them out, you see, just like he did with you and Chat Noir. Even though Luka pulled a horrible prank on Aurora, he didn't hate her. In fact, it was quite the opposite. As they grew, he really fell for her, but she didn't give him the second chance he wanted. Luka hoped that he could prove to her that he was, in fact, a good person worth getting to know.

And she did, she really got to know him, as Gatto Nero. He was a gentleman. Chivalrous, brave, and kind. Quite the romantic, you see. Aurora had never known anyone like him before and became very smitten with him. Coccinella was in love with her Gatto Nero, but his heart was meant for someone else. "

 _I am so sorry Coccinella, but I love another,_ Gatto Nero turned her down gently.

 _Who?_ she questioned.

 _I have loved her since I was a small boy, the girl that never notices me,_ letting out a sigh, he held his clawed hand up to his heart.

 _Our families wanted us to be together, but after that day, she won't even look at me. I will regret what I did for the rest of my life. But there's just something about her..._  
Gatto Nero continued, _something that I cannot escape. I am plagued with these feelings. And with this plague, there is no cure. None but her. It would not be fair to you, or to me, to be with you. For that, I am terribly sorry, my Coccinella,_ Gatto Nero turned his back, and walked away.

"One day, Lupo Solitario had attacked the part of the city Aurora was in. Frantic, Gatto Nero raced over to find her. When he had found where he was told she was supposed to be, he stood in front of a burning building. Without even batting an eye, Gatto Nero climbed into the smoke-riddled room and brought her to safety. In order to get them out, he had to use his Cataclysm on some stone that blocked their way. But he couldn't manage to make it out in time before his detransformation. That's when his secret identity was exposed to her."

Marinette gasped, "What happened next?!"

"Aurora realized how horrible she had treated him - just to quote her - and felt absolutely sick with herself," it was clear by the look in Tikki's eyes that she wasn't seeing Marinette's pink room before her, but the days of Coccinella and Gatto Nero.

"That day, she had run home in tears. She told me everything about him then. About what he did to her as a child, and how she ignored him. Though sometimes, she had found herself staring at him when he wasn't paying attention. Part of her wanted to give him that second chance, but she thought about those rats and wondered how anyone could have been so cruel to her.

After realizing he was that person she had gotten to know under the mask, Aurora had gone to see him. She had apologized for not only running away from him after finding out his secret identity but for the way she treated him all those years."

 _I'm so sorry, Luka! I was such a fool for not giving you a chance. So, so sorry. I was afraid of you. I know now that I shouldn't have been, but I was. I only hope that you can forgive me,_ Aurora sobbed, wiping the tears from her face.

Luka put his hand under her chin, tilting her head up. _Of course I forgive you! I was a stupid boy, that shouldn't have teased you as I did. I just... didn't know how to express myself, and I'm also sorry._

Aurora sniffed, _I need to show you who I really am, Luka. It's only fair you see... me. Tikki, spots on!_ Aurora transformed into Coccinella before his eyes. The partner he had been working with for so long was indeed his unrequited love.

_I must know. Do you love Coccinella, as you love Aurora?_

Luka chuckled. _I felt something for Coccinella, yes, but because she was not you, I never gave her a chance. Just like you never gave Luka a chance. Will you give me that second chance now?_

_Without a word, Coccinella threw herself into Luka's arms._

_Amore mio,_ he whispered. _Thank you._

__

"Awwww!" Marinette squealed. "So cute! I just love happy endings!" she was grinning from ear to ear, looking quite pleased... until she remembered that Plagg had compared Coccinella and Gatto Nero to her and Chat.  
"But how is this similar to me and Chat Noir, er, Adrien...?" she scratched her face uncomfortably. She still wasn't used to the idea of Chat Noir being Adrien. Until she saw it for herself, she wasn't sure she could get used to it. 

"They hadn't been together for very long, before her father told her and her family they were leaving Italy, heading to London," Tikki glanced over at the cookie that sat next to her, and started nibbling.  
"She had no choice but to go along. He vowed that he would come for her when he could. And that's just what he did, two years later. He brought her back to Italy. They got married soon after she came home to Rome, where they spent the next two decades protecting the city. By that time, they had retired and gave Master Fu their Miraculouses back. They had a long and happy life together. Their grandchildren and great-grandchildren I heard are doing well." 

"But their story is so different from us. Adrien...Chat Noir... we were never together. It's not tragic like theirs had been." 

"I don't know about that, Marinette," she continued munching on her cookie. "They had a chance to be together, and that chance was what brought them back to each other. They knew how the other felt about them and relied on that. The two of you never had that chance. You never worked out your feelings for each other. He's left you wondering how he feels about you, and he's probably wondering the same. In a way, isn't that even more tragic?" 


	9. Here Without You

"Ooh, I wonder if he has anything new in here?" Plagg rubbed his little paws together as he got ready to open up the safe.  
He went into the metal box, unlocking its difficult code, and the door swung open.

Inside, like before, the safe held a framed photo of his mother. Next to it, was a book on Tibet, and a brooch that looked like a peacock's tail.  
Adrien grabbed the book and started to quickly skim through the pages. They had marks on them that were clearly not printed but drawn in.

"What does this mean?" Adrien wondered aloud, skipping through the pages.

"I don't know," replied Plagg, touching nearly everything he could get his paws on.

"Thanks for the help," he muttered, closing the book. He reached in to grab the photograph of his mother when his hand brushed the brooch.

It began to glow.

"W-what's happening?!" Adrien stumbled backward, shielding his eyes from the light.

When the light dimmed, a Kwami appeared. It resembled a peacock, with a dark blue body, and a long, feathery tail.

"Duusu?!" Plagg exclaimed in surprise, gliding up to hover next to her.

Duusu stretched and yawned. "Oh, Plagg!" she smiled. "It's so good to see you!"

"What are you doing here?" he asked the little blue Kwami.

She glanced around the room, spotting Adrien staring at her.

"Adrien?" Duusu's eyes going wide.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course, your mother was my Chosen, after all," she said with a sad smile.

"Really? Do you know what happened to her?"

But before Duusu could answer, he heard noises that indicated his father had just arrived home.

"Quick, you have to go back in!" Adrien told her. "I'll come see you when I get the chance."

As fast as he could, he got everything back in the safe, and his mother's portrait shut moments before his father walked in.

"Adrien. What are you doing in here?" he asked with his usual cool voice.

"Uh, I wanted to talk to you," he rushed out. Technically, it was true, but that wasn't why he had been caught in the dining room.

"Go on," his father urged, he didn't have the time to stand there and talk.

Adrien took a deep breath. "It's been over a year and a half since we moved here, and I just wanted to know when we'll be going back to Paris."

Gabriel was silent a moment, before answering, "I still have work to do in New York, Adrien. We'll talk about this later, I have work to do." His father started walking out of the room before he stopped. Without turning around, he spoke again.  
"Your bodyguard and Nathalie will be taking you to get your hair cut shortly. You've outgrown that hairstyle of yours."

Adrien sighed. No answer and he was getting his hair chopped off. Great.

"Just ask him again, when he's not so busy. And if he doesn't answer then, keep bothering him," suggested Plagg. "He's right about that haircut, by the way."

Adrien glared at his Kwami. "I don't care about the stupid haircut. I'm tired of my father not caring about what's best for me. It's always about what's best for him, what makes him happy. He talks about how important I am, how he doesn't want to lose me, but what does he think this is doing to me?!" his voice rose, and his eyes began to burn. Adrien could feel himself coming apart at the seams.  
"If my mother was here..." he trailed off.  
"Forget it, she's not."

"Adrien..." Plagg wasn't the most sensitive of creatures, but when Adrien was clearly in pain, it hurt him, too.

"Let's go get that haircut," Adrien said through clenched teeth. He slumped his shoulders, as he walked out the door.

That night, she was in his dreams. His Ladybug.

They were in Paris just before sunset. Lights started to come on around the city, the sight was even more breathtaking than he remembered.

Chat Noir could hear her laughing next to him, along with the whistling wind. It was like music to his ears. They were running on roofs, bounding off buildings.

When they got to their usual resting spot, he looked over at her. The sun shone directly on her face, her skin radiant in the light.  
He saw her gorgeous blue-bell eyes burning into his vividly green ones.

 _I miss you_ , she whispered.

Pain. It hurt him. It hurt him so much that it jolted him awake.

It was pitch black in his room, his digital clock reading 1:36 AM. He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath. He sat up and ran his fingers through his newly short, spiky hair.

He needed to see her, on the Ladyblog. It had become a bit of an addiction to check up on it. Part of him really did want to know what was going on, to make sure his city was safe. But he couldn't lie to himself. Usually, he just wanted to see her.

He saw footage of the latest akuma attack, nothing particularly special had happened. Like usual, all of Team Miraculous was there, but he paid attention only to her. It was comforting to see her, smiling and laughing after the akuma attack had been taken care of like everything was right with the world.

Adrien turned off his computer screen and stumbled back into bed. He pictured her smiling and laughing face as he drifted off to sleep again.

\----------

Marinette woke up suddenly, her eyes wide. She glanced out the window.  
Twilight.  
She turned on her phone to check the time. 7:36 AM it said. On the bright side, she was going to have to wake up in ten minutes for school anyway. But she would've gladly been awoken by her alarm clock over what actually caused her to wake.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki's concerning voice asked.

"I-I'm okay," she huffed. "I'm okay."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"No. No, it wasn't bad," she managed a smile. "It's okay, don't worry."

Tikki nuzzled Marinette's face, hoping to comfort her. "At least you won't be late for school!"

Marinette was on time for school alright, but Alya, Chloé, and Nino had gotten there before her. They were waiting for her on the steps leading to the school.

"Adrien got a haircut!" Chloé burst excitedly when Marinette saw her walking up the steps.

"Come see, Marinette!" Alya waved her over. "He's certainly rocking that hair."

"Think I'd look good with hair like that?" Nino asked.

Alya hugged him around his waist. "Of course you would."

"I don't want to see it," Marinette said, continuing up the steps.

The three stared at Marinette, immensely shocked.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chloé asked, "because this is Adrien we're talking about."

"That doesn't sound like you at all, girl. What's up?" Alya added in.

"I haven't seen a photo of him in months, and I'd like to keep it that way, that's all," she shrugged.

"But _why_?" all three asked in unison.

"This is probably going to sound stupid," she began, "and you guys might not understand, but seeing him in any way is just... too hard. Until he comes back, I don't want to see him. I can't see him," Marinette continued walking into the school, her friends followed.

"That's not stupid at all, Marinette. I get it," Nino insisted, walking behind her. "The dude's my best bud, and when I see him in these magazines sometimes, it makes me sad. What it must be like for you... If I was away from Alya, and all I had were photographs or a brief video chat, I don't know if I could do it." Nino stood behind Alya, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," she rubbed part of his arm soothingly and turned her head to kiss his cheek.

"Oh..." said Chloé suddenly, her tone hinted that something was up.

Alya broke free of Nino's hug, going to look at Chloé's screen. "Oh no..." she groaned.

"What? What's up?" Nino wondered.

"'Paris' very own Adrien Agreste, famous fashion model and son of famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste, was at a photoshoot yesterday in New York City after getting a brand new haircut," Chloé read off, "where it had been arranged that Courtney DeMarco would be modeling Gabriel's new collection with Adrien. Although reporters were unable to speak to the two 17-year-olds themselves, they were spotted talking alone in the corner of the cozy waiting room at Gabriel's International. Could there be some romance brewing between these two teens?'" she finished, looking quite disgusted.

"You know how the media is. They're just trying to make something out of nothing for a story, I wouldn't believe it," Nino pointed out, looking over at Marinette worryingly.

Alya gasped. "She's really pretty..."

"Well of _course_ she's pretty! She's a _model_ after all!" Chloé said angrily under her breath, giving Alya quite the glare. She wasn't helping matters.

"Don't worry about me. Nino's right, I'm sure that's all it is," she told them convincingly. But she felt worried. He's thousands of miles away, spending time with a beautiful girl, a model. Who was she in comparison to that? She was just clumsy, awkward, silly Marinette. There wasn't anything special about her.

"Remind me to talk to Rose about that hair accessory I'm making for her after class, will you?" she asked her friends as they walked in their ever familiar classroom.


	10. Piece of Hope

"Hey Marinette, can I talk to you?" Nino approached her as she was talking to Rose.

"Uh, sure Nino," she agreed, waving goodbye to Rose and Juleka.

He led Marinette over to the lockers, nearly everyone had gone home already, so it was completely empty.

"Hard day, huh?" he asked.

She only shrugged.

"Want to get out for awhile and suit up?" Nino gestured behind him. "I know it helps me feel better when I'm down."  
She nodded. "Alright. I'll meet you outside," Marinette headed into the bathroom to transform.

"It's alright to be hurting, you know," Tikki said as she flew out of Marinette's bag. "You're doing the best you can with the circumstances, but you also shouldn't keep your feelings bottled up inside."

"I know Tikki, I know," she sighed. "It's just easier for me to distract myself with school, and Team Miraculous. The longer I don't have to think about him, the better."

"Sometimes you need to talk about it with someone. Just think about it, alright?" she pressed, looking up at her Chosen worryingly.

"Okay, I'll think about it." Marinette let out a surrendering sigh. "Tikki! Spots on!"

Transforming into Ladybug always helped clear her head, she felt better when she could get out of Marinette's mind for awhile.

Carapace was waiting for her outside of the school.  
"Follow me," he said in his authoritative voice. Definitely sounding very different from Nino.

Ladybug followed. He was leading her to a part of the city they rarely spent time in. Mainly because it was on the edge of Paris. After a few minutes, Carapace landed on the rooftop of an old building. He walked a few steps before he spoke.

"I've seen you the past year and a half, and I know you pretend you're okay and say you're fine, but I can tell that you're not."

Ladybug let out a "hmph".

"Who better to talk to about Chat Noir, or... well, you know... than me?" hinted Carapace. He wanted her to talk about it. Maybe she'd feel even just slightly better, but anything was better than this.

She realized he was right. He was the perfect person to talk to. She could tell him about how she felt without Chat Noir, something she couldn't talk about with her other friends or Rena Rouge and Queen B. And Adrien... who knew Adrien better than Nino?

"You're right. It's just... everyone expects me to be strong, powerful, unbreakable Ladybug. And when I'm... well, me, I'm bubbly, enthusiastic, and happy. That's what everyone expects from me... I'm not supposed to be depressed. I'm not supposed to be weak. I'm not supposed to break. I don't want to worry anyone, so I just pretend like everything's okay."

"But you're human, Ladybug. You can't expect to keep it all inside forever. I get it if you don't feel comfortable talking to people about it, especially the Chat Noir stuff, obviously, but you can confide in me about any of it. I'll listen." Carapace looked over at her. She stood awkwardly, her hand gripping her opposite arm, her head down.

Without thinking about it, he walked over to Ladybug and gave her a hug.  
She rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"I'm tired," she sniffed. Tears started to stream down her face. She'd never cried as Ladybug before. She couldn't help but notice how strange it felt.

"Talk to me. Tell me what you need to say, let it all out. And then when you're done, we can go around the city a bit. We can see how the citizens of Paris will react to us just strolling down the street. Maybe we can walk into a shop somewhere, acting all casual. Won't that be fun?" he grinned, elbowing her in the arm.

Marinette laughed through her tears. "It's just what I need."

\----------

"What are you talking about, Father?" Adrien breathed, completely horrified.

"If you want to go home, you're going to have to be able to pull this off," Gabriel Agreste said sternly. "If you can, we'll be able to go back to Paris next month."

Adrien was silent, his eyes wide.  
_What is he thinking?! How am I going to be able to do this?_

"If not," his father continued, "Then we'll be staying in New York another year, at least. Ultimately, it's up to you what happens."

Adrien stormed into his room. He was absolutely _livid_.

 _Gotta cool down..._ he thought to himself. He went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. After a few splashes of cold water, he reached over for a towel to dry his face off.  
Adrien opened his eyes and saw himself in the mirror, but he looked like someone else to him.

His eyes were the same vivid green, but his chin was more angular a lot less round. He had grown at least 3 inches, if not more, since leaving Paris. And even though he was still quite thin, he had gained some muscle.  
Adrien's most drastic change of all was his new haircut. He parted his hair on his left side. It had been cut short on the sides, but the top of his head kept a couple inches of length. That length was brushed to his right side, shooting upwards at the ends.  
That is, that's what he looked like when he was Adrien. He had not yet transformed into Chat Noir to see how his new haircut would transfer over.

He stared at himself for a couple of minutes. He was going to figure out how to pull it off, everything depended on it. Including his mother.

Adrien walked out of the bathroom, his Kwami rested on the end of his bed, with a slice of Camembert in his paws.

"So what are you going to do, Adrien?" he asked with a mouth full of cheese.

"I have to do it, as much as I don't want to go along with it. I just don't know if I can pull this off successfully," Adrien sat down next to his Kwami and rubbed the back of his neck. A habit he had gotten into when he was unsure or nervous.

"You have to, kid!" cried Plagg. "Being away from Paris isn't only hard on you, you know..."

Adrien turned to look at the little black cat Kwami, extremely confused and slightly suspicious.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... being away from Tikki... it makes me anxious. We're not meant to be kept apart for long."

Usually, Adrien would be very sympathetic to such a thing, but not today.

"Wait... so you're telling me... that all this time you've given me a hard time about how I feel about Ladybug, how difficult this has been for me, and here you are, feeling the _exact same way_?!" Adrien was infuriated. Listening to Plagg's condescending, sarcastic, and cool remarks about him, and about Ladybug. And here he was, missing his love.

"It's how I deal, okay!" Plagg shouted back. "How do you think I deal with being away from her for as long as I have to?" He tried calming himself down.

"Look. For both of our sake, you're going to have to do this. Just think, in one month, we can both be back in Paris."

Adrien snorted. "And all I have to do is convince the world that I'm dating Courtney DeMarco."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These poor children and their suffering. :c  
> Nino and Marinette would be fab friends.
> 
> Also, if you'd like to follow me on tumblr for updates, my name here is the same as there, ToujoursMiraculous. c:


	11. A Day on the Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Carapace and Ladybug stroll through Paris?

"So who do you want to talk about first, Chat Noir or... ?" Carapace knew better than to mention his name, and it wasn't just for safety reasons.

"Chat Noir, definitely Chat Noir," she insisted, not even having to think about it. "I always pushed him away, you see, because of... _him_. I knew I could easily fall for him, and... it scared me, so that was always my reaction. Now I miss all those little things about him, like his stupid puns and him calling me "M'Lady" and "Bugaboo". I even miss him desperately trying to get me to tell him some sort of clue to who I really am," she was smiling as she remembered these moments with Chat. A smile that made it clear that she was in love with him. Nino looked surprised for a moment, before composing himself.  
"...I'd give anything to have him back."

"And what about..." Carapace cleared his throat, obviously implying Adrien.

"I wanted nothing to do with him at first."

"I remember, the poor guy. It meant a lot to him for you to like him. He had an entire class full of people to try to be friends with and the fact that you didn't like him... I guess made him persistent that his first new friend be you."

Ladybug blushed slightly, though you couldn't tell with her mask.

Carapace tilted his head to the side. "What changed, anyway?"

"Ah, well... After school one day, it was pouring down rain. I thought I'd wait for the rain to let up before I walked home when Adrien walked by. He apologized and said he was just getting the gum off the seat. Which was great for him to do and all, but then he turned around and offered me his umbrella. He gave me this...this look, and thunder rumbled, and it just... hit me. Hard. I've been a total dork around him since," Ladybug laughed nervously. Her blush was full-blown now and clearly seen even with her mask on. But the smile she had worn when speaking of Chat didn't waver. If anything, it intensified.  
She loved them both, there was no doubt about it. Nino didn't know exactly how she loved them, but it was very apparent she did. He wondered which of the two she would end up choosing when it came down to it, but knew better than to ask that now.

"I just wonder," Ladybug whispered sadly, looking away from Carapace, "I wonder if he even cares about me anymore. He used to before he left, I know, but it's been so long." Ladybug wrapped her arms around her knees. "He's got that girl in his life now, and maybe even new friends, but that's what hurts me the most. We don't speak anymore, and I know he's busy, but if I could just hear from him again... I would know he still cares about me, and everything would be alright," she wiped the tears off her mask and part of her cheek. "I could handle anything else."

"Maybe it's too hard for him to write to us?" Carapace offered, scooting closer so he could sit next to her. "We might not have gotten any letters from him like he said he'd send us, but he still cares. I know it."

Ladybug leaned her head on Carapace's shoulder. "I hope you're right."

"You know," she started after a few moments of silence, "confiding in you about being Ladybug was the best thing I ever did. And I'm sure Chat Noir would be very thankful for everything you've done for me."

"You think so?" Carapace wondered, sounding pleased.

"You've saved me on more than one occasion, and you've been a great friend. I'm sure he would be."

Carapace looked very happy with himself. Nino had always looked up to Ladybug of course, but Chat Noir was his idol. He sat there a moment, appreciating Ladybug's words before speaking again.

"I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. Let's go freak the city out, shall we?"

Ladybug chuckled. "I know the perfect place to go."

They made it down to the streets of Paris, and started walking on foot.  
"Now, this place isn't as good as the Dupain-Cheng's bakery, but it's got its own charm. And it's on the way to where I want to go," Ladybug added in.

Parisians had taken notice of the two superheroes quickly. People took out their phones to take pictures and videos, to which Carapace and Ladybug waved. Children were screaming "Ladybug! Carapace!" but most people respected them enough not to approach them. However, a few did ask them for their autograph.

They walked into the little bakery, causing the owner's jaw to drop.

"L-Ladybug?! Carapace?! What can I do for you?" The middle-aged man asked, looking both very excited and quite nervous.

"We'll take some croissants and a box of macarons, please," asked Ladybug politely.

"And a couple of cookies, if you don't mind, kind sir," Carapace added.

"Oh, o-of c-course!" the man stuttered, quickly getting their order ready.

Ladybug glanced around the little bakery. It reminded her of her family's in the way that it was very homey. A lot of love had to have gone into a place like this.

"Actually, could you make it two boxes of macarons? I have an idea," grinned Carapace slyly.

Ladybug looked confused for a moment, then decided she'd find out soon anyway. "Does your family run this bakery, monsieur?" she asked, viewing an old photograph that hung on the wall.

"Yes, it's been in my family for generations. My wife and I currently run it, and we hope to someday pass it down to our children," answered the man as he put together their order.

Ladybug smiled. The life of being a baker's child. "You run a lovely shop, your family's done a great job."

"Thank you, Ladybug! Please, your order is on us. A thank you for all that you do."

"No, I couldn't possibly!" Ladybug waved her hands in protest. "Here," she handed over more than enough money to cover the cost. "Please, I want you to have it."

"Thank you, thank you! Come by anytime, anything you want, it's on the house!" he called after them as they walked out.

"So, what's the extra box of macarons for?" Ladybug raised an eyebrow.

"To give out to those we come across, of course!" Carapace gave a grin, almost worthy of Chat Noir. He opened the box, offering one to her, and taking one himself before he greeted people in the street, offering them macarons.

Ladybug watched him and giggled. Not that Nino wasn't generous, but Carapace was a very generous, brave, and selfless hero.  
Alya was definitely very lucky to have him.  
Come to think of it, Marinette had no idea what Alya thought of him. Strange, considering she used to talk about Ladybug and Chat Noir all the time, now she doesn't bring up any of the heroes much at all...

Once Carapace and Ladybug were through giving out the box of macarons, and after finishing their croissants and cookies, they discarded the packaging in the trash.

"We're going to have to detransform to go where we're going. We'll draw too much attention otherwise."

Carapace nodded. They walked down a deserted alleyway and detransformed. With one box of macarons left in hand, Marinette led Nino into Master Fu's shop.

\----------

A few days later, Adrien sat in a café, waiting.

 _Where is she?_ he thought anxiously, bouncing his leg nervously, looking around every few seconds and continuously taking glimpses of his watch.

"Running late, is she? Sounds like someone else I know," Plagg teased.

"Ha ha, Plagg. What are you suggesting, that she's a superhero too?" Adrien scoffed.

"No, I was just teasing. Sheesh, you're a lot less fun than usual," pouted Plagg. "Remember, you're not doing this just for you, you know."

"I know. I'm doing this for Ladybug, my friends, and my mother..."

"I meant me! You're doing this for me, too! I'm counting on you kid, so please don't screw it up."

Adrien sighed. There was so much pressure on him, so much at stake. He looked up to see Courtney stepping out of her vehicle.

"Hide, Plagg!" Adrien cleared his throat. He stood up when she approached the table.

"Adrien!" she greeted enthusiastically, kissing him on the cheek.

"Courtney, good to see you," he greeted back, holding her chair out for her.

"Oh, thank you! Such a gentleman," she sat down, and he went to sit directly across from her.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, and laughed nervously. "Look, I thought I should tell you this- " he began, but Courtney cut him off.

"I know, Adrien. To help your father's collection sell, it's imperative that the media sees us as a couple. Romance interests people, and if we're this famous couple in magazines, people are much more likely to buy it."

"Yeah, but that's not all..." he trailed off, looking down at his hands that rested in his lap.

"What is it?"

"Me going back home to Paris is determined by how convincing we can be. If we're successful, I can go home. If not..." Adrien's eyes started to sting.

"Oh, Adrien," Courtney put her hand on his to comfort him. "You have someone waiting for you in Paris, don't you?"

"Ack, well..." his eyes wandered around the room. Adrien sighed. "How'd you know?" he gave up. No point denying it. He was going to tell her this was just for show anyway, that his heart belonged to someone else.

"I can see it in your eyes. She must be something special to put that look there," Courtney observed, looking thoughtful.

"She really is. I have so much riding on this, and it's not just her. Will you help me? Please?"

"Mmm, pretending to date a fashion model so he can make it home to his love...yeah, I think I can help you out," she winked. "Besides, just like those we're doing this for, I'm a sucker for a good love story."

Adrien smiled, his shoulders relaxed. He wasn't going to be in this all alone anymore. His smile faded though when he realized he had no idea what he was doing.

"Um, Courtney? I don't... I don't really know how to be convincing," he admitted, his face red with embarrassment.

"Oh! I'll help you. It's not that hard, really. I'll give you a crash course," Courtney moved her chair closer to the table, leaning her head in to avoid being overheard.  
"Be out in public with me as much as possible, making sure all our outings are taped and photographed. In those photos, hold my hand, put your arm around me, maybe even a peck on the cheek every once in awhile," she suggested, peering around, making sure no-one was listening in. "When talking directly to the media, focus on me more than the interviewer. That just screams infatuation, which sadly most seem to confuse as love nowadays... And I think most importantly of all, act around me like you would your friends. You need to appear comfortable around me, not stiff and awkward."

Adrien nodded his head, "Okay so, hand-holding, arm, focusing on you, and act like you're my friend. Got it."

"Hopefully you won't have to _act_ like I'm a friend, and actually think of me as one," she brushed some of her long, black hair away from her face.

"You'll be the first friend I've made since coming here, then. Nice to meet you, Courtney," Adrien genuinely smiled for the first time that day, holding out his hand for a handshake.

His phone went off. Nathalie texted him he was going to be running late for a shoot.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll talk to you later?" he asked.

"Of course. Later, Adrien," she motioned for him to kiss her on the cheek goodbye. Hesitantly, he did.

"'Bye," he walked out of the building, toward the white limousine that was waiting for him right outside.

"The lost kitty is missing his love bug," sighed Courtney wistfully. "I wish I could do more to help."

"You can, just by being there for him. As you, and as Flamingirl," said a very pink Kwami that was hiding in her jacket.

Her phone made a noise, indicating she had a notification.  
The Ladyblog had updated.

Video feed showed Ladybug and Carapace around the city of Paris, enjoying pastries and giving them out to the citizens. But the story had been twisted, making it seem like Carapace and Ladybug were a couple. But Courtney saw right through that.

"It doesn't matter where the media lives, they're all disgusting," she said coldly, stuffing her phone back in her purse.

"Why are you apart of it, then?" wondered the little Kwami.

"You know why, Gugu. We desperately need the money. And this time, this time it involves a sweet, innocent guy who just wants to go home to someone he loves. I have to help him."

"One day Grizzly's going to see what kind of a person you are, Courtney. If he does, and he still doesn't care, then you're better off without him anyway," Gugu said with her little hands on her hips.

"Thanks Gugu," she petted the Kwami on the head, and sighed. "I think it's about time we leave, too."

\----------

Adrien got home past 10 PM that night, dragging his feet as he walked into his room.

"That was absolutely exhausting," he muttered, his face smooshed in his pillow.

"One step closer, Adrien. Go get ready for bed, you have another long day tomorrow."

Adrien groaned, he finally got to lie down. "You're starting to sound more like Nathalie and less like Plagg. And surprisingly, I'm okay with it," he said as he pushed himself off his bed.

"I'll just pretend that's your exhaustion talking, and let it slide," Plagg hovered next to him, a look of disapproval on his face.

"I'm going to check to see how things are looking with me and Courtney first," he said as he sat down in his computer chair.

He pulled up magazine websites with articles dedicated to the two of them.  
So far so good.

But Adrien wasn't going to stop there. He couldn't help himself. His curiosity got the better of him, as he clicked over to the Ladyblog.

What was featuring on the blog today was 'Ladybug and Carapace: Friends or Lovers?'

\----------

_Earlier this week, Ladybug was spotted with Carapace around Southwestern Paris. Instead of seeing them in the usual manner, flying around the city, bringing down Hawkmoth's super-villains, we got the privilege to see them casually walking the streets like citizens._

__

_Parisians were thrilled to see them in a regular setting, calm and enjoying the nice spring day. Witnesses were speculating if they were merely enjoying the beautiful day, or if they were out on a date. Considering Ladybug and Chat Noir had never been seen in public but for official business, we're leaning towards a date. What do you think, Paris?_

\----------

"I knew it! I knew I wasn't just seeing things!" Adrien hollered, leaping out of his chair.  
"Look at him! So generous and kind, and... _suave_." Adrien mocked. "Makes me sick! I should be there. That should've been me walking with her in Paris, eating croissants and whatever, not that guy." Suddenly his mood shifted from outrage to depression. "Then again, if I would've asked her, she probably would've just laughed and pushed me away, like always..."

Plagg floated up behind Adrien and smacked him on the head.

"Hey! What was that for?!" he rubbed the back of his head. For a little thing, Plagg could sure hit hard.

"Teenagers and your aggravating mood swings!" Plagg shouted exasperated, before flying in Adrien's face, so their eyes could meet.

"Pay attention, Adrien. How do you feel she feels about you?"

"What? I think she- "

"Not what you _think_ , kid, what you _feel_. It's easy to let your head go off in all these different directions. Doubt, worry, not to mention being oblivious to what's going on in front of you. Now, I'm going to ask you again. How do you _feel_ she feels about you?"

Adrien blinked.  
"Well, I've always felt that she likes me, but she denies it."

"Good. Hold onto that, because what you initially think or feel about something is _usually_ how it really is. Your mind is a very powerful thing, and it can lead you down a very dark and depressing path. Just remember this, and you'll get through the next month or so."

Adrien nodded. "I'm... I'm going to go get ready for bed now," he said awkwardly before shutting the bathroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew Plagg could give some good advice?


	12. Tomato Head and the Bee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chlonath Fluff x3

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloé was staring at her screen, a news article about Adrien and Courtney DeMarco, one of New York's most famous teenage models. News was popping up everywhere about the two, there were even pictures of them out together.

"Marinette's going to hate this! What do you think I should do?" Chloé asked. "Tell her now and get it out there, or keep it to myself and hope that she never knows?"

Pollen just gave Chloé a look, her eyebrow raised.

"What? I'm still new to this friend stuff, I just want to make sure I do the right thing."

"And for that, I'm proud of you. You've come so far already," praised the little bee.

Chloé looked quite pleased with herself. "So, what should I do?"

"How about you tell me what you think you should do, and I'll let you know what I think?" Pollen offered.

"Okay... I mean, I think I should tell her. She's going to find out eventually, better now than later."

"Good Chloé, good. I'm going to add on to that, though. I think you should make it apparent that you feel it's in her best interest to know now, rather than down the road. Just make sure she knows it's not a taunting sort of thing."

"You're right. I totally would've done that before," she rolled her eyes at herself in annoyance. She wasn't exactly proud of how she treated people before.

Chloé continued to walk through the park, staring at her phone, when something vibrantly red caught the corner of her eye.

"Huh? Oh, it's Nathaniel! Should I talk to him, or just keep walking?" Chloé debated with herself.

"I agree with what Marinette said earlier. Go talk to him!"

"Right. Okay." she walked up to the red-headed boy, his sketchbook enthralling him.  
"Hey Nathaniel," she greeted him.

"Hey," he replied, barely glancing up.

She made a face. _Be nice. Compliment him!_

"D- did I ever tell you that your hair looks nice like that?" she asked awkwardly. Being awkward was never something that would've described Chloé. Until now, anyway.

Nathaniel's hair was relatively the same length as it had been before, but instead of being sleek, running straight down his face covering an eye, he wore it all swept to his left side. It was cut in layers, so his hair appeared to be spiked as it rested on the side of his head, brushed away from his eyes. His right side above his ear cut short.

"What? Oh. Thank you for noticing. No-one's really said anything since I changed it a couple of months ago, I appreciate it."

"It's nice," she repeated. "I like that I can see both of your eyes now, they're really pretty."

Nathaniel blushed. "Ah, I - uh..."

Chloé knew if she didn't ask him now, she'd end up walking away, kicking herself later. "I was wondering... if you'd like to-"

Screams began echoing around the park. Chloé knew right away, screams like that meant an akuma attack.

"Go Nathaniel!" she shouted at him, and pretended to run behind him as she searched the park for the reason for the screaming.

"I don't know where it is, but we've got to go!" Chloé said to Pollen, who was hiding in her little white bag.  
Unfortunately, there wasn't anywhere she could go that would completely conceal her, so she ducked behind a tree.

"Pollen, Buzz on!"

Queen B immediately gained some high ground, to see what was going on.  
She spotted Nathaniel, hiding behind the water fountain...

 _Oh, Nathaniel_.... she mentally facepalmed.

"You have to get out of here!" Queen B called over to him, waving him away.

"I see we've got an artist in love, here," came a feminine voice. "Is that for her?" she cooed, pointing at his sketchbook.

A woman in a very bright dress emerged from the shadows of the trees. Her dress had every color you could imagine, in splotches, and her hair seemed to change color to match each color on her dress.

"N-no!" Nathaniel said with much more force than he felt he could manage, hiding his sketchbook behind him.  
The woman tried reaching for his sketchbook.

"Let Emotioness take a look, will you?" she purred.

"Leave him alone!" Queen B shouted, going after the akumatized woman with full force.

"I sense your emotions, sweetie. You're in love, too. But you also feel scared... scared of... me, could it be?" the villain asked in calm and drawling tone, that didn't match her expression. It sent chills up Queen B's spine.

"Don't touch him!" spat Queen B. She yanked the necklace the woman wore off, fighting her with all the strength she could muster.

Ladybug rushed over, panting. "I'm sorry! I came as quick as I could!" she shouted.

"I found the akuma. Here!" she cried, throwing the necklace over to Ladybug as she continued to fight the victim.

Ladybug released the akuma and purified it before setting it free. Once that was taken care of, she looked over to see Queen B helping Nathaniel up off the ground.

"You okay?" Queen B asked him, struggling to catch her breath.

"I'm fine, thank you, Queen B," he replied gratefully and a hint of awe in his tone.

"What'cha got there?" she pointed at his sketchbook. "Mind if I take a look?"

Nathaniel's face turned a light shade of pink, but he handed over his book without a word.

He had drawn several sketches of her. Not her Queen B, but her Chloé.

"Oh, these are really good!" she praised, flipping through the pages. "You've drawn this girl a lot. Is she special?"

"I think so. She's very... complicated. I never really knew her before, but I feel like I know her a little better now," his face had gone even redder, rivaling his hair.

"Well, thank you for showing me your sketches, uh...?"

Ladybug silently left the scene, she felt she was intruding on something personal. She helped the woman up and helped her find her way home as she was still pretty dazed and confused. Apparently, Emotioness was the result of a young woman being picked on by her friends and family for being too sensitive.

"I'm Nathaniel. No problem, Queen B. Thank you so much again for saving me."

"It was nothing, really. Next time, please find a better hiding spot, though," she winked, before taking off.

Several minutes later, Chloé walked back through the park, Nathaniel sitting where he had been on her first walk through the park.

_Just ask him. You were already half-way there._

"Hey again," she greeted as she sat down next to him.

"Hi," he said quietly.

Chloé took a deep breath. "So I was wondering... would you like to go see a movie, o-or something?"

Nathaniel's head shot up, "Me? You're asking me?"

His question stumped her. "Ah... Of course, I'm asking you, why wouldn't I?"

"I always thought that you didn't like me," Nathaniel looked down at the ground, hurt.

"I was stupid before. I didn't really like anyone, honestly. I pushed everyone away. It was how I dealt with what troubles me in life. But things are different now, I promise."

"I've noticed..." he said with a smile. "Sure Chloé, I'll go to a movie, or _something_ , with you," he reached over and took her hand.

Chloé's face went scarlet.

"But first, I want to show you what I've been working on the past few months..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this little Chloé/Nathaniel fluff piece. Get ready for some fluff of a different kind! ;)


	13. Goodbyes and Hellos

"What's up, Chat Noir?" Flamingirl asked as she landed on the roof. Where they first met had naturally become their usual meetup spot.

"Just needed to get away, and I wanted some company," he shrugged. "Is Grizzly coming?"

"Yeah, he'll be here in a few minutes. Great, isn't he?" she asked eagerly.

"So great, I can hardly _bear_ it. A very _paw-some_ fellow, if I do say so myself," He grinned his very famous grin, looking quite proud.

"Mmm, puns. I see you're feeling better. What happened?" Flamingirl sat down, her legs crossed.

"I managed to get my _claws_ on some hope. It seems that when you have some of the stuff, it does wonders on your mood," he stretched and yawned. He was extremely tired, but he didn't care.

"Not getting enough sleep, Chat?" Flamingirl wondered, leaning her head on her hand. Her elbow rested against the chimney.

"I get enough to function. It's worth it, though. Soon I'll be home with Ladybug again," Chat sat back against the chimney, his head tilted up towards the sky, and his eyes shut. He felt the warmth of the late autumn sun on his face, nice and gentle. Comforting.

"You're leaving?" came a deep voice. Chat opened his eyes. Before him stood a young man, maybe slightly older than him, in a brown ombré suit with matching mask. His short but extremely curly hair was a similar shade of brown to his suit, and his eyes were a very pale grey. He was very muscular and beefy, indicating that his citizen self worked out. A lot.

"Yeah Grizzly, I'm going home next week," you could see the light in his eyes as he talked about it, the light that had been lacking for nearly two years. He had honestly never felt so happy in all his life.  
Chat stood up to greet the superhero.

"I'm going to miss you, man. You're a riot!" Grizzly patted him on the shoulder, and although Chat would never admit it, it really, _really_ hurt.

Chat winced. "I'll miss you both, too. But I'll see you again, I'll make sure of it. Cat's honor," promised Chat, tracing an 'X' over his chest.

"Good. Make sure you do that," she told him sternly. "So Grizzly, what kept you? You were supposed to meet with us 20 minutes ago."

"I was passing by Metlife Stadium, and I had to catch a glimpse of that Giants game."

"How're they doing?" she asked with much interested.

"They're doing pretty good, I think there's hope for them this season," Grizzly had started to go into detail about the football team, and Flamingirl clearly knew her stuff as she talked about players and stats with him.

This was all lost on Chat Noir, but he didn't care. He was around people that he chose to be around, and he felt more at home up on this old rooftop in the middle of New York City than he did in his prison of a house a few blocks away.

"Oh! I forgot I have to be somewhere. I'm so sorry Chat, I'd love to stay..." Flamingirl clearly felt awful about bailing on him, especially if he wasn't going to be in New York much longer.

"Don't worry about it, I understand. I fly out Thursday night, so how about Wednesday, we meet here?" suggested Chat.

"That works! I'll see you then. Bye Grizzly!" she waved shyly at Grizzly before she took off.

"She's great. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't met her. Probably would've ended up putting my friends back in Paris in danger without her."

"Yeah..." he said dreamily, staring at where Flamingirl had been moments prior.

"Wh- you like her?" Chat's jaw dropped, his tone pleasantly surprised. But she told him that he liked someone else...

"Ever since she chased out this super villain we had here a couple of years ago. It was amazing," he was practically drooling. Grizzly was completely smitten with her.

"But, she told me you liked some girl with the dolphin Miraculous down in Miami?"

"What? W- she is a friend of mine, she used to live here, actually. She moved down south with her family. We know who we really are under these things," he said, pointing to his mask, "but we've never been like that."

Chat Noir stood there, his face expressionless.  
_How are these two not together already?! It's so obvious!_ he screamed in his head.

"Look, I'm going to help you, Grizzly. You need to tell her how you feel because life doesn't just sit around waiting for you to make a move," Chat Noir had thrown his arm around Grizzly's shoulders, guiding him around on the roof.

"I- I mean..." Grizzly's face went red. Seeing him so uncomfortable looked kind of strange, even though Chat Noir really hadn't known him long. He didn't seem like the blushing type.

"Take this from me. I never told the girl I love how I feel about her. I'm thousands of miles away, and I've regretted it since the day I left Paris. Now when I get back home, it might be too late for me..." Chat took a deep breath, attempting to remain calm. "Don't let that happen to you. You have to tell her," insisted Chat, as he gave him a pat on the back.  
"Think about what I said, okay dude? See you Wednesday!" he saluted, before running off.

Grizzly stood on the roof alone, completely dumbfounded and scarlet red.

\----------

"That was my last photo shoot until I get back home," Adrien sighed in contentment. They were at his house, and he was lounging on a chair, his feet up.

"It's amazing, the closer the day gets, the happier you are. I'm really happy for you, Adrien," Courtney said, looking about as happy as he felt.

"You've seemed particularly happy the past couple of days yourself. Care to share why?" Adrien teased.

"Ah, well, this guy I've liked for a very long time finally said something. We're together now," she looked so happy, you could practically see the joy radiating off of her. "Oh, but don't worry, no-one else knows, so it won't mess up anything with the collection."

"That's really great, Courtney! Glad the guy finally said something to you," he gave her a crooked smile.

"Adrien..." his father's voice echoed in the room. "Change of plans, we're leaving for Paris today."

Adrien stood up faster than he thought possible. "T- today?!"

"Yes, today. I have more to do than I thought back in Paris, and my assistants can take care of the rest here. So we'll be leaving shortly," Gabriel walked out of the room without another word. Busy, busy, busy.

"Ah, I should start packing then. I guess this is goodbye," he turned to Courtney, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I guess so..." she glanced up at him, sadness overwhelming her, but she knew this was what he really wanted, and that's what mattered.

"You've always got my number if you ever want to talk, you know," she reminded him.

"Will do. Thank you for everything, Courtney."

"And thank you. You don't know it, but you helped me out more than you can imagine." She just looked at him a few moments in silence. "Goodbye, Adrien," she hugged him around the neck, willing herself not to cry. He would be happy in Paris. It's where he belonged.

"Bye, Court," he waved pitifully, as she walked out of the room.

"She's nice. I like her," Plagg said, zipping out of Adrien's jacket.

"I do, too. She's a great friend, and I'm going to miss her, but... I don't belong here, Plagg. I'm just happy I get to leave knowing that she's happy, too."

"Ughh, you're such a sap!" Plagg stuck his tongue out in disgust.

Adrien irritatingly looked at his cat Kwami. "Why, just because I care about others feelings?"

"Yes. Seriously, hopeless romantics are so... _eugh_!" he shuddered, his little body quivering.

"You know what's _eugh_? The fact that you're going to have to load up on Camembert. If we're leaving soon, you're not going to be able to eat for the next 12 hours."

Plagg groaned, whined, and complained. But it was a very small price to pay to return home.

Over half a day later, his plane touched down in Paris. It was approaching late afternoon, the bright sun low in the sky. His eyes darted around everywhere, taking everything in as the limo drove him home. Oh how beautiful everything looked.

_Hello again, Paris._


	14. Short and Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, but I don't think you'll mind too much ;)

Ladybug sat on top of the Eiffel Tower, overlooking the city before her. She came here alone often, to enjoy the view of the city, and to watch the people go about their lives. She never told any of her teammates that she spent time here, or they'd likely come looking her. This was her and Chat's spot, and that's how it was going to stay.

Night was beginning to fall, the moon already high in the sky. But she felt perfectly content where she sat, feeling no rush to leave, despite the chill that came with the wind. Whenever she came to visit the Eiffel Tower, she let herself think of the happy memories with her and Chat Noir. They were a sort of escape.

Tonight, Ladybug was thinking of all the times Chat Noir got himself into crazy situations, and how he would react. Specifically, she thought of when he was struck by Dark Cupid, and him running away from her like a scared cat when she went after him to break the spell.

"Silly Chaton," she giggled to herself, her tone sorrowful.

"Are you talking about me, m'lady?" came a voice.

A thrill coursed through Ladybug's veins, her breath catching in her chest. _That...that voice..._

Slowly, she turned her head and saw none other than Chat Noir standing there before her.

Ladybug quickly stood up, covering her mouth in shock. The breeze blew her waist-length pigtails around behind her, illuminating in the moonlight.  
She gaped at him, taking in every detail of him.  
His Chat Noir costume _definitely_ suited older Chat better, emphasizing and highlighting the muscle he gained while he was away. Chat's jaw looked very defined with his black mask on. His blonde hair significantly shorter than before, appearing as if someone purposely messed it up, as it stuck up in every direction. And yet, to no surprise to her, he was absolutely _purrfect_.

She had thought of this moment a million times, so many scenarios and words she would say. Sometimes, she felt if she saw him again, she'd be absolutely furious with him for leaving her. Others, she worried Marinette would completely take over and babble at him like a complete dork. Countless ways this meeting could go...

But words couldn't come to Ladybug tonight. Instead, tears streamed down her face like miniature waterfalls, as she threw herself into Chat Noir's arms.  
He stiffened a moment, as this wasn't the reaction he had expected at all. Usually _he_ was the one to hug _her_. Nonetheless, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.

Chat could feel her shaking.  
"Are you cold?" he whispered.

Ladybug vigorously shook her head, burying her face in his chest. Chat stroked her back delicately. She smelled amazing, too. Like... vanilla and sugar?

"I missed you, Bugaboo," he breathed.

"I missed you, too... _so much_. It wasn't the same here without you. I wasn't the same without you..." she muttered. She sounded so sad and vulnerable. It deeply hurt him that he was the reason she sounded so miserable.

Chat let go of her, and invited her to sit down. He wrapped his arms around her as she scooted towards him.

"I have something to tell you, Chat," Ladybug started, her tone grown serious. Chat Noir gave her a nervous glance.  
_Here it comes..._ he thought glumly.

"I was going to wait and tell you this later, but under the circumstances, I think it's better that you know this now."  
_Please... don't say it._

"Mind you, it just sort of came at me, I wasn't looking for it..."  
_Oh no, she does love him, doesn't she? Please, no._

"I know who you are... under the mask," admitted Ladybug nervously.

"I know, I- wait, what?" Chat Noir's eyes went wide. He was just so relieved that she wasn't telling him she loved Carapace, that he didn't know how to feel about her knowing who he really was, other than surprised.

"I pieced it together by accident one day, shortly after you left. I'm sorry, I didn't want to put all this on you, but knowing you..." she trailed off.

Chat was baffled. "What do you mean?"

"If I figured it out, don't you think the rest of Paris will too if you," she gestured towards him, "come back to Paris the same time _you_ come back? Both sides of you are too famous. One side of you will need to lay low for awhile, and clearly, that can't be your civilian self, can it?"

"You really do know who I am, don't you?" He knew exactly how he felt about her knowing. _Relieved. Delighted._ The only thing better would be knowing who she is under the mask, too.

Ladybug blushed, looking down at her hands that she had placed in her lap. "Yeah... I have a lot I want to tell you about, but this isn't the right place. Can I come by a little later? I need to head home for a bit, but maybe in an hour or so?"

"Okay, I'll definitely be there." She nodded once and started to walk towards the edge of the tower.  
"Wait!" Chat called, grabbing her arm.

Ladybug turned around, looking up at him, her head tilting slightly in innocent confusion.  
"Just one more thing before you go," he whispered gently, putting his hand under her chin. Ladybug froze, her mind going completely blank, his face but an inch from hers.

He brushed his lips against hers softly for a couple of moments before pulling away.  
"I'm sorry, but I had to do that," he apologized, his face feeling like it was on fire.

She gazed up into his gorgeous green eyes and was internally kicking herself, wondering how she never made the connection in all the times she had looked in them. There wasn't another set of eyes in the world like them. How she _loved_ these eyes, how she missed them! She could get lost in them forever if she looked long enough.

"Ah, no, it's-it's fine. It's fine, really. I'll- I'll see you, see you later," she tumbled over her words.  
He chuckled, before bolting off of the Eiffel Tower for home.

"I'll just... wait here a minute. I don't think swinging above Paris is very safe when I feel like I'm going to pass out... or throw up," Ladybug said to herself shakily as she sat down.


	15. Kwami-to-Chosen Talk

Ladybug rushed for home. She had significantly less than an hour before she was expected over at Adrien's, and she was completely freaking out.

"I can't believe that just happened!" she shrieked the second she landed in her room.

"And now you have to go meet him soon, as Adrien. Are you going to be okay?" Tikki looked at her concerningly.

Marinette plopped down on her bed. "I don't know, Tikki. I was starting to do better around him before he moved, but it's been so long... I _technically_ still haven't seen him in nearly two years."

"You've always been comfortable around Chat Noir though. You have to remember he's still that guy, your _best friend_. He just won't be in the cat suit, that's all," said Tikki wisely.  
"You'll do just fine, I know it. And I'll be there with you... well, sort of," she giggled. "Are you going to tell him who you are?"

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, but Tikki's question stumped her.  
"I... haven't thought about it, actually. But a good superhero follows their head, not their heart. My head's telling me I need to keep my identity a secret for as long as possible."

"True Marinette, but in a case like this, shouldn't you follow your heart? Besides, you don't happen to be worried that Adrien's not going to like you anymore after he finds out Ladybug is Marinette, are you?"

Marinette avoided looking Tikki in the eye. She was very worried that Adrien wouldn't see her the same way again if he knew it was just clumsy, silly Marinette behind the disguise.

"Marinette! I think you're worrying about this way too much. Eventually, he will have to find out. You can't use Ladybug to hide behind forever, she can't be your crutch."

Marinette moaned, flailing her feet around in frustration. "I know! It's just so much to take in!" she let out an exasperated sigh. "I mean, a few hours ago, I didn't even know he was back in Paris, and now here we are, deciding whether or not to reveal my secret identity to _Adrien_ of all people, while honestly, I'm still freaking out over that kiss, and the way Chat Noir looks now, and me going and seeing Adrien and what he might look like now, and hoping I don't end up looking stupid in front of him, and..." she was struggling for breath at this point.

"Breathe, Marinette! Just relax. Let's just concentrate on seeing Adrien for the moment. If you don't want him to know who you are yet, just tell him that you pieced it together. That if you told him how it'd be a giveaway to who you are... Oh, wait, that might be a giveaway on its own..." Tikki pondered.

"I'll figure it out, Tikki. I'm not worried about that part of it, but you're right. I have to deal with it, and sooner rather than later."  
Marinette got up from her bed and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Tikki asked.

"I'm going to go tell my parent's goodnight, pretend I'm getting ready to go to bed, and get ready to go to Adrien's. Just give me a few minutes, and we'll go."

\----------

"I can't believe you did that," Plagg said in disgust. "You're just so...sickeningly sweet. I don't like sweet; I like savory. Like Camembert!"

Adrien sighed, looking far from amused.

"At least you were the one to kiss her this time," Plagg said with a mouthful of the stinky cheese.

"I'm sorry, what?" Adrien's head shot up, turning to look at the Kwami.

Plagg stuffed another chunk in his mouth. "Never mind."

"No, no 'never mind'. What do you mean by 'this time'?" he glared at Plagg, fighting the urge to grab him by the scruff of his neck.

"Weeeell... remember Dark Cupid? In order to break the spell he put on you, she had to give you a 'true love's kiss'. Only, you don't remember."

Adrien looked at him, a mix of disgust and anger on his face. "You made sure to let me know every awful thing I said to Ladybug while under that spell, but you left the most important part of the whole thing out?!"

"Well, she did mention the kiss to you. It's not my fault you're as oblivious as a rock," shrugged Plagg. "Even Ladybug managed to figure out who you are, but you still have no idea who she is, do you?"

Adrien groaned angrily at his Kwami. "I have a guess! But I want to make sure I really know I'm right before I tell her about it."

Plagg peered over Adrien's shoulder. "Okay, well here she comes. No better time to see if your guess is right than tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter is about as short as the last one, I'll be putting up the next chapter a bit later today. ^-^


	16. Smitten Kitten

Ladybug came swinging in through Adrien's always-open window. When she landed, she looked back at it, staring a moment.

"Something wrong?" Adrien asked her, wondering what could be so interesting about his window.

"I always wondered why you kept that window open," she pointed behind her. "And now I know why. You wouldn't be able to leave the house as Chat any other way, huh?"

"You always wondered that?" Adrien chuckled.

"Well, all the times I've been here, it's been open and I found it strange. So yes, I _always wondered_ ," she stuck her tongue out at him teasingly.

"And you know I've _always wondered_ who you are..." he reminded her, staring into her eyes.  
_Oh mon Dieu... You're Ladybug right now... Stay calm. BREATHE!_

"Ah! Y-yeah, I know... and I decided what I'm going to do about that," she looked away quickly, his gorgeous green eyes dazzling her.

She had Adrien's undivided attention. "What did you decide?"

"I'll tell you who I am under this mask... if you ask me to," she looked back up at him, catching the excitement in his eyes before he composed himself. "Or, I'll let you figure it out for yourself. Honestly, I feel finding out on your own is much more satisfying."

"What if I have a guess as to who you are already, m'lady?" Adrien smirked. "Will you give me a clue?"

Ladybug blinked. _Adrien smirking?_ "Alright. Let's see..." she paced around the room a moment, thinking. "Here's a good one. We attended the same school. And if you're going back to school, we'll be attending the same school again."

"I already guessed you went there," Adrien pouted, sounding highly disappointed.

Ladybug grinned. "Well, now you know for sure."

"I think...I think I want to figure it out like you figured out who I was. That way it's fair. Even though I really, _really_ want to know."

She looked down at the floor, biting her lower lip, clearly worried.

Adrien's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What's wrong, Ladybug?" he asked, getting up from his seat to sit next to her.

"What if I'm not who you expect? What if who I am disappoints you?"

"You could never disappoint me, m'lady. Trust me," he assured her playfully, taking her hand in his. Suddenly, his expression grew serious. "You never told me how you feel about me being Chat Noir. Are you... disappointed it was me?"

Ladybug's head turned to look at him so quickly that Adrien involuntarily jumped back in his seat. Her blue-bell eyes were glistening, on the verge of tears.

"No! Of course, I'm not, I-" she tried to compose herself, before continuing on.  
"Honestly, if I could've chosen anyone in all of Paris to be my partner, it would be you."

"But you always turned me down, pushed me away," now Adrien was looking depressed. Ladybug couldn't stand that look.

"I turned you down for _you_ , you dork! Though I hadn't known it at the time," she stood up, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.  
"I didn't like the idea of falling for Adrien, and then for Chat Noir. Loving two guys like that..." Adrien shifted uncomfortably, but Ladybug hadn't noticed.  
"But the more time I spent with Chat, the more I pushed him away out of reflex to protect myself. Not to mention, I take being Ladybug very seriously. I don't need some flirty kitty distracting me," she raised her eyebrow at Adrien, he smiled back sheepishly.

Adrien let it sink in, she had loved both sides of him already... .

"And now to say what I came here for," she continued. "What I told you on the tower, I mean it. Chat Noir needs to stay out of sight for the next month or so. The team and I can handle anything that happens before then."

The Chat Noir in him argued, "But Ladybug, I want to help you! I -"

"No, Chat!" she demanded. "It's for your safety. Please," her blue eyes burned into his, pleading with him to listen to her.

Adrien let out a defeated sigh. Of course, he had to do this for her. "Okay, I won't," he promised.

"I don't trust him," Plagg commented from the other side of the room.

"Plagg!" Adrien hissed at his Kwami.

"Your Kwami?" Ladybug asked him. He grumbled in reply.  
Plagg floated up to Ladybug so he could speak to her without practically yelling across the room.

"Nice to meet you, Ladybug," he greeted.  
"Aww, aren't you cute!" she cooed, rubbing him behind the ear. Plagg absolutely melted like a popsicle.

"I like her. I like her a lot!" he exclaimed, looking happier than Adrien had ever seen him.

Ladybug giggled. "What is it that you like to eat, Plagg?"

"Camembert cheese!" he spun around in the air, very excitedly. "I love a lot of cheese, like Swiss, and Cheddar. But Camembert is my favorite!"

"I'll make sure to bring you some the next time I see you, then," she told the cat Kwami, petting him behind the ear again.

"Marry her, Adrien!" Plagg demanded. "She's _purrfect_ ," he purred.

"Ah - PLAGG!" he yelled angrily, his face going bright red. "You're only saying that because she said she'll give you cheese. If she knew what you were really like -"

Plagg acted like he hadn't listened to a thing he was saying, his attention on Ladybug. "Adrien's such a weird and irritating kid, I don't know why you like him."

Adrien growled, sitting with his head in his hands.

She laughed in response. "As much as I'd like to stay and talk you two, I should get going. School tomorrow and all," she stood up, walking towards the window. "Will I see you there?" she wondered.

"You will. And will I see you?"

"I'm... sure you will," Ladybug winked, launching herself out his window, and into the night.

After a few moments, Adrien stood up, and glanced out the window to make sure Ladybug was really gone.  
"Time to transform, Plagg," he told his Kwami seriously.

"What?! But you promised Ladybug! I told her not to trust you..."

"I need to call Flamingirl and Grizzly, to apologize for not showing up like I said. And then there's someone I have to go and see."

Plagg gave him a disapproving look.

"I'll give you a bag of Camembert if you won't say anything to Ladybug."

"...Fine, but it better be the best Camembert you can find!" demanded Plagg.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Chat Noir grabbed his baton and dialed Flamingirl. He hoped that she was transformed, otherwise, he'd have to call her back later.  
He let it ring for half a minute before she thankfully answered.

"Chat Noir?" she said in surprise. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine! I wanted to apologize to you and Grizzly for not showing up. I ended up having to leave last-minute, and never got a chance to come see you. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, Chat, we understand," he heard Grizzly's husky voice say. A moment later, he was in view.

"Hey dude! I just wanted to thank you both, for being there for me when I needed it. If you ever need me for anything, please let me know," Chat bowed his head slightly.

"And if you ever need us, call us. We'll come to France ASAP. Right?" He noticed Grizzly had his arm wrapped around Flamingirl's shoulders.  
"Of course!" she grinned at Grizzly. Chat realized Grizzly must have taken his advice, as they just screamed _couple_.

"You're together?"

"Thanks to you, bud!" Grizzly gave a toothy grin. "We owe you. If you need us, we'll come running."

"Ah, it was nothing really," Chat said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Isn't it kind of late there?" Flamingirl asked.

"It is... and I have to take care of something and hit the hay, I just wanted to make sure I let you both know I'm okay. But I'll call you both soon."

"You better! We want to hear all about you and Ladybug," he teased, poking fun at him.

Chat Noir blushed. "Later, guys!" he saluted, before hanging up.

"Now that that's been taken care of, it's time I go visit my Princess."


	17. In the Stars

_I wonder how she's been,_ Chat thought excitedly as he sneaked around the rooftops of Paris, on his way to the Dupain-Cheng's bakery.  
_Does she still design? Are her, Alya, and Nino still friends? Is she the same, or has she changed? What does she look like now? Does she have a boyfriend?_ He didn't want to think about that last one. Several questions were swirling around in his head. He really wanted to see her, and only her. He found it an odd feeling, but he brushed it off, thinking it was just because they were friends, and he hoped that they could continue to be.  
But he didn't have the desire to see Nino, Alya, or Chloé. Why was that? He didn't know. He'd see them all at school tomorrow, but then again, he'd see her, too.

Her house came into view, her inviting balcony calling him.  
Someone was on the balcony.

Marinette was leaning against the railing, appearing to be deep in thought. He silently landed out of her peripheral vision.

"Marinette?" Chat asked, crouching on the railing to her left.

Marinette gasped. "Oh, oh it's just you Chat Noir," she said relieved, wearing a weak smile.  
"You're back."

"I am," he confirmed, jumping off of the railing, onto the balcony. "Are you okay?" Chat automatically walked up to her, resting his hand on her shoulder.  
Marinette's smile got wider.

"I'm fine. So, what do I owe the pleasure, Chat?"

"I wanted to come see you, Princess."  
Marinette had completely forgotten about that nickname. The nickname Chat gave to her when she was working with him to get rid of the Evillustrator. It took her by surprise.

"Ah - I mean, why me? Shouldn't you be seeing Ladybug?" Marinette tucked some of her long hair behind her ear.

"I already saw her. And I'm sort of _bending_ the promise I made to her to see you," he gave her a teasing smile.

"What do you mean?" she asked, pretending not to know a thing. She always found it fun to mess with Chat a little bit, especially when he was unaware of it.

"I promised her I wouldn't be seen as Chat Noir for the next month, and I intend to keep that promise. Except when it comes to you, I had to see you."

That response took her completely by surprise. "But why, Chat? Why would you have to see me?" she asked as if what he was saying was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Because... I couldn't stop thinking about you while I was away," he told her, with the most sincere smile, with the most adoring look in his eyes.  
This wasn't Chat, this was all _Adrien_. Like that day in the rain.

"Oh," she blushed, looking down in embarrassment, but she was definitely pleased.

"I feel so bad though," he started. Marinette gazed back up at him. "I love Ladybug, and she admitted that she loves me, too... But then there's you, and you've always been special to me, and-" he stopped himself, he felt like he was starting to give too much away. She would surely ask questions. Chat Noir isn't supposed to know Marinette. Not really.

Instead, she just smiled and gave him words of comfort.  
"I know you'll figure out whatever you need to soon. Everything will be okay after that, I just know it. And I'll always be here for you if you need me," she gently nudged him.

"And if you need it, I'll always be willing to lend an ear. Like right now for instance. I want you to tell me how things are going with you," he nudged her back.

She let out a breathy laugh. "I've been working on this design for quite a while now. Actually, it's more like a collection. I really love how it's turning out, and Chloé has been giving me some input-"

"Sorry to interrupt Marinette, but did you just say _Chloé_ has been helping you? Chloé? As in, Anti-Bug, Mayor's daughter, the girl who causes akuma attacks left and right, Chloé?"

"I was hesitant about her at first, but she made an effort to change, and she really has. She still has a lot of the same traits, but she's different now. Nearly all the class likes her, and she hangs out with Nino, Alya, and I a lot. Though lately, I haven't seen much of any of them," she added the last bit, looking glum, and Chat wondered if this was why she looked sad when he arrived.

"Why not?" his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her face, worried about what could be wrong. He felt the urge to take her hand, but he thought it better not to.

"Nino and Alya are together, and so are Chloé and Nathaniel. I'm sort of a fifth wheel, as they go out together a lot. They always invite me to tag along, but to be honest, it was too hard to watch them. Happy and together, like everything they could ever need in the world was right there in front of them... So I spend a lot of my free time working on my collection and helping my parents with the bakery."

"That sounds...awfully lonely, Marinette," his tone flooding with sorrow.

Marinette wanted to assure him that it was alright.  
"It's not like I don't see them at school, and my parents are great. Not to mention I get more time to focus on my collection. It's important that I do my absolute best on it if I'm going to be fortunate enough to go to fashion school. Besides, it's life, right? Everyone rides through it at different speeds. Right now they happen to be far ahead of me, socially."

"I'll come visit you. Whatever days work for you, as long as it's after dark since no-one in Paris can know I'm back, not yet."

"I won't say anything to anyone. And any day works for me. If you really want to come by, you can whenever it works for you."

"I definitely want to," he insisted. "I'll come by again soon, I promise."

"Okay then, I'll be here," there was a bit of silence before she decided to ask about him. "Anything you can tell me about your time away, Chat?"

"I managed to make some new friends," he announced, sounding as if he was still surprised he made friends at all.

Marinette seemed very interested and happy to hear it. "Really? What are they like?"

"One was a girl that helped me come back home. I almost messed it up, and I wouldn't have been able to come home for who knows how long if I had, but she saved me. She also reminded me of my friends, and knowing that I had someone like that to talk to made it a bit more bearable to be away."

"She sounds really great," her tone only had a _slight_ edge of jealousy to it. Chat Noir, however, could pick it out.

"She's nothing compared to you though, Princess," he bopped her on the nose. "I also met a couple of superheroes."

"Not any of the other ones here in Paris, right?" Marinette's head perked up. Not that Chat Noir knew of course, but due to her being Ladybug, she was highly interested in hearing about other superheroes.

"Oh no, they're foreign heroes, though they spoke French quite amazingly. I helped get them together. They helped me when I needed to vent about superhero stuff. When I needed to get out and become Chat Noir. I don't know what I would've done without them, either."

"It sounds like you had some good friends to lean on when you needed them. I'm glad," she told him, and she really meant it. Despite wishing he had been there with her, it made her feel better knowing he wasn't totally alone like she feared.

The two talked longer than they planned, though they talked about safe, non-reveal leading topics. They gazed up at the stars, observing the constellations. Chat insisting that all the stars looked to be in the shape of a cat, one way or another.  
Marinette and Chat Noir discussed their favorite colors, their favorite foods. Their least favorite foods. Fears, dreams...  
They talked until nearly 2 AM. Marinette was leaning on his shoulder, wrapped tightly in a blanket, and recently dozed off.

"Marinette," he whispered, moving his shoulder slightly to rouse her. "It's late, you should get to bed. We need to get up early tomorrow, remember?"

"Mmmm can't I just stay out here with you?" she whined.  
Chat chuckled in response. Oh so very tempting.

"As much as I'd like to, I can't. Let me help you up," he wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her up and making sure her feet were steadily on the ground.  
"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Princess," he bid her goodbye, kissing her on the forehead, before leaping off her balcony, and into the moonlit night.

Marinette yawned, and headed down to curl up in her nice, warm bed.  
"Goodnight, Marinette," Tikki whispered, a content smile on her face, but Marinette didn't notice. She felt tired, yes, but she had felt so at peace with Chat Noir, with Adrien. Almost like a dream.

She zonked out immediately after her head touched her pillow, and her dreams, although no different than they had been the last nearly two years, this time, they filled her with nothing but happiness.  
Her best friend - her love - was home at last.


	18. Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A switch-a-roo of sorts. x3

Marinette woke up that morning, happiness flooding her. It had been so long since she was this happy, that she wrote it off as a result of her dreams.  
That is, until last nights events sunk into her mind.

"T-Tikki?" Marinette stuttered, her eyes springing open.

"Yes Marinette?" Tikki replied groggily.

"Adrien and Chat Noir...that actually happened, didn't it?" she asked her Kwami weakly.

"It did," she confirmed, yawning.

Marinette sat up, running a hand through her hair. "So Adrien's back, knows that Ladybug knows he's Chat Noir, kissed Ladybug, came to visit me, Marinette, as Chat Noir practically told me he has feelings for me, and we stayed up late talking."

Tikki floated up off Marinette's pillow. "Yep, sounds about right!"

Marinette blinked, silent for a moment.

"NO WAY!" she shrieked, her hands flying up to the side of her head. "There's no way all of that could've happened! That - that was like fairytale stuff... a dream. That can't be real!"

Tikki went straight-faced, sighing.  
"But it was real, Marinette. But you're going to have to save the freak-out that I know is inevitably coming until later, if you don't hurry, you're going to be late for school!"

Marinette jumped out of bed in panic mode, flailing around.  
"What should I wear?! Certainly not what I wore yesterday, that was totally not me. Should I wear my hair up or down today?"

Tikki just stood back and watched the poor teenage girl frantically trying to figure out something to wear to impress her crush.  
Considering she's a fashion designer, it shouldn't be that hard. Tikki reminded her of that fact.

"Oh! Right... thanks Tikki," she breathed a sigh of relief.  
She chose a long, flowy medium-blue skirt that stopped just above her knees. A light pink flower pattern was sewn onto the right side of the skirt. Tucked into it was a slightly puffy, light grey short-sleeved shirt, with a black belt around her waist, the shape of a bow in the center.  
She matched her outfit with identical blue flats matching her skirt, and a little black bag similar to her little pink one hung from her shoulder.  
Once she was dressed, she brushed through her hair, that now flowed down just above her waist in gentle waves. She pulled back all her hair just above her ears and tied it off with a light pink ribbon.

Marinette didn't have time to sit down for breakfast, so she grabbed an apple from the counter to eat while she ran to school. Considering the students were in their last year of school, they no longer attended Collège Françoise Dupont, but Lycées de Paris.

As she walked up, she saw Chloé, Nathaniel, Alya, Nino, and amazingly, Adrien, standing there.

Adrien noticed her at once, everyone else's attention being brought over to her.  
_Just breathe, and keep calm. You're able to talk to him as Ladybug. You're able to talk to him when he's Chat. You can talk to Adrien as Marinette, too,_ she told herself repeatedly.

He was staring at her, completely dumbfounded. She was absolutely stunning, and it made his mind go fuzzy.  
Marinette walked up to her group of friends, Chloé immediately commented on her outfit.  
"Très cute! I don't normally wear things not made by famous designers, but you seriously have to make me something sometime," she told her. "I mean it, your outfit is fab. I'm jealous."  
"Thanks, Chloé," she grinned. That was probably the best compliment she could ask for from Chloé, and it meant a lot.

"Marinette, my dude is back!" Nino practically squealed, throwing his arm around Adrien, messing his hair up affectionately. "It's been so long! You'll have to tell us all about New York."

"Sure, though there's not that much to tell," he gave a crooked smile, shrugging his shoulders. He focused his attention back on Marinette.

"Welcome back, Adrien. It's great to have you back," she said calmly, a smile spreading across her face.

"Y-you too! I mean, you've been here the whole time. I'm glad to be back, too. Not that you're glad I'm back. I just - you know what, I'm going to stop talking," Adrien nervously combed his hand through his hair, fixing what Nino messed up. His cheeks were about as red as a tomato. Why did he sound like a bumbling idiot all of a sudden?

Marinette giggled in response. "It's okay, I get it."

Alya and Nino stared, glancing back and forth between the two, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Marinette and Adrien's exchange had sent them into shock.

"Wait, hold up," Alya demanded. "What's this?"

Marinette looked at her friend, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"THIS. When do you suddenly speak to Adrien, calmly, and when did Adrien start sounding like you? Did you guys switch places or something?"

"I don't know what you mean," Marinette shrugged, started to walk towards the school steps.

"Dude, are you alright?" Nino concernedly asked his best bud.

Adrien looked over at the street, watching the moving cars as he answered, "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous to be back is all."

"You'll have to come to the hotel soon, Adrien. Daddy expanded the hotel, it's better than ever!" Chloé explained and began talking his ear off while they walked to class about all sorts of things that happened while he was away.

Marinette was already in class when the group arrived, sitting at her desk. When Adrien saw her, he stopped in his tracks. His friends bumping into his back.  
"What's up with you, Adrien?" Nino asked, walking around his friend to get into the classroom.  
"I'm just... glad to be back, that's all," his voice sounding strained.

"I'm sure going back to being homeschooled was pretty hard to readjust to," Nino patted his pal on the shoulder.

"You have no idea..."

"Well, your seat is next to Marinette. I sit by Alya and Chloé sits with Nathaniel now," he informed Adrien, patting him on the shoulder before joining his girlfriend.

Adrien's face fell slightly when he looked back over to Marinette. What she had told him the night before really was true. No wonder she sat there now, completely focused on her designs. It must've become a habit to distract herself from having to sit alone every day.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked her as he approached. She lifted her head to look at him. Her frown of concentration vanished when she saw him. "Of course not."

He sat down, taking off his grey and black varsity bomber jacket. He wore a light green, long-sleeved shirt underneath. His jeans were a faded black, and his shoes were like his old pair, only black with a green moth-like design.

After Adrien had set his bag down, Plagg started sniffing. He could smell Camembert... Being Plagg, he just had to investigate. 

It was coming from the girl's bag sitting next to him. Sneakily, he sneaked out of Adrien's bag and into Marinette's.

Marinette heard Tikki quietly hiss Plagg's name, but no-one else in the room had heard, including Adrien.  
"Um, I'll be right back," Marinette told Adrien, as she got up with her bag and headed just outside the door. Thankfully, no-one was around, and Plagg and Tikki floated out.  
He held some Camembert in his tiny paws, munching away.

"Plagg!" Marinette scolded, "I was going to give that to you later!"

"Sorry Ladybug, but you can't bring Camembert into a room and expect me not to eat it," he replied, happily chewing the stinky cheese.

"When I'm detransformed, call me Marinette," she told him. "And noted. ...You don't seem surprised as to who I am. Why is that?"

"Weeell," Plagg drawled.

"We already knew your guys' identity a long time ago. Plagg and I, we can sense each others presence. Naturally, in situations when you and Adrien were alone, it became obvious," Tikki finished for him.

"And we didn't say anything, because it's not our secret to tell," he added before Marinette had time to ask.

Marinette petted Plagg behind the ears, his body going lax.

"You have the best Chosen _ever_ , Tikki," he purred.

Tikki grinned and crossed her arms. "I know. Next time, be more careful, Plagg, or Adrien's going to find out!"

"Fine, I will!" he snapped, before mumbling to himself between mouthfuls of the stinky cheese.

Marinette giggled, and the two Kwami's went back into her bag. She walked back into the room, just in time for her teacher to come in through the back door.

"Good morning, class! And welcome to our school, Mr. Agreste," greeted their teacher, Mr. Mathieu, everyone clapping to show their approval and happiness.  
"Today I'll be giving you a new project to work on, in pairs. Each table will be partners."

Kids looked at each other excitedly, the silence that had been in the room was now filled with a buzz of voices. Adrien and Marinette stole glances at each other, smiles on their faces, before turning their attention back to the front of the class.

"Now, I want you to pick your favorite historical figure to do your project on. You can make a video or a typical presentation of said historical figure's life, and what they did to change history," Mr. Mathieu instructed. "Any country will do, you don't have to limit yourself to French or European figures."

Once the teacher let the class free to start discussing their projects, Marinette turned to Adrien.  
"Which would you like to do: video or presentation?"

"Uh, well, as cool as a video would be, I think presentation is the best way to go. What do you think?"

"I think so, too. I mean, we're not exactly Alya and Nino," she looked over Adrien's shoulder at the couple. Adrien followed her gaze. Nino already had a camera in hand, filming his girlfriend. Alya seemed to be irritated at him.  
The two laughed at their bickering friends. "Some things never change, huh?" he sighed.

Marinette let out a breathy laugh. "Some things stay exactly the same... so I think we should pick a country to select our historical figure from, to start narrowing it down. Do you have a specific country in mind?"

"I did spend nearly 2 years in America, and I learned next to nothing about it. How about someone from there?" Adrien suggested.

"Sure, sounds good to me," she agreed, getting her tablet out of her bag. "Let's do some searching to _figure_ out who we'll be studying."

Adrien froze. "W-was that a pun?"

"Yeah, but I'm _pawsitively pawful_ at them," she grinned to herself. _Hint, hint._

He remained frozen. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was saying puns. _Cat puns._  
_No way..._ he thought.

"Can you come by after school today?" Marinette asked though he had clearly spaced out.  
"Adrien?"

"Huh?" he mumbled, his name being called broke him away from his thoughts.

"I asked if you can come by after school today, to work on the project?" she looked at him, concern apparent on her face.

"Oh. Right. Yeah, I should be able to. I'll have to call my father during lunch to let him know, but I'm free today."

The bell rang, alerting them that it was time for their next class.  
"Okay, well, I'll see you at lunch then!" she waved goodbye as she exited the room.

Adrien rested his head on his desk and groaned. "This is going to be a looong day."


	19. Sneaky Fox

It felt like an eternity for Adrien. If he didn't have a class with her, he was anxiously waiting to see her again. And when he did have a class with her, he anxiously waited for a chance to talk to her. What he really wanted was for the day to be over, so he could spend more time with Marinette.

By the time lunch rolled around, he was exhausted. After he had gotten in last night from his time with Marinette, he lied there awake until the clock had passed 4 in the morning.

"You look tired, are you sure you're alright?" His best friend asked worryingly.

"I'll be fine. I'm just jetlagged, and didn't sleep well last night," he replied with a yawn.

"Maybe you should've stayed home today, catch up on some Z's, you know?"

"No!" Adrien said a bit too harshly. "I mean, I wanted to come to school today."

Nino raised an eyebrow at his flustered friend. "Was it really that bad at your house that you'd prefer walking around like a zombie all day? Or does this have to do with Marinette?" Nino's tone was playful, hinting. Adrien's cheeks were tinted red, as well as the tips of his ears.

"I don't know what you're talking about," denied Adrien.

Nino laughed. "It's okay, really. Nath and I had a thing for her once, too. Totally understandable."

He glared at his friend, his teeth clenched. He did not want to be reminded of that fact.

"Whoa, hey there. Calm down, buddy," Nino held his hands out in front of him defensively. The way Adrien was looking at him gave him the creeps. "I'm just saying, Marinette's a very likable person."

Adrien let out a sigh. "Ah, I'm sorry Nino, I don't know what came over me."

"Well, apart from your lack of sleep - which explains a lot - it seems you've got it bad for Marinette. I had no idea," he said, getting his food out of his lunch bag. "Since when?"

"Since... always, actually. The first day I met her. I just... didn't really know it, yet. It wasn't until after I was in New York all that time, that I realized just how much it meant for her to be in my life."

"And now you can barely say anything around her," teased Nino, "but what about Ladybug?"

"What about Ladybug?"

"You had a thing for her, didn't you? What about now?"

"Of course I still do," he answered without a second thought. No doubt Nino was going to scold him, or sound disappointed in him for liking two different girls, maybe even try empathizing with how awful it is, but instead, he took him by surprise.  
Nino had a very specific look on his face. A pleased look. A _knowing_ look.  
"What was that for?"

Nino had already composed his features. "What was what for?"

"That face. You seemed... _happy_ that I like Marinette and Ladybug. It's nothing to be happy about, it's terrible!"

"Oh, right. Yeah, that's... that is definitely very terrible," Nino falsely empathized.  
_Poor dude doesn't even know he loves both sides of the same girl._ He was restraining from breaking out in laughter. _If only he knew._

"Now it's my turn to ask, what's up with you? You're acting strange," observed Adrien, his tone suspicious.

"N-nothing! Really, nothing," Nino laughed nervously. Not only was he keeping his secret identity as Carapace from his best friend, he knew that Marinette was Ladybug. If Adrien ever found out, he'd surely kill him.

Thankfully, before Adrien could press him anymore, Nino was saved by his girlfriend and friend. Marinette and Alya walked up to join them. They too had just had their own conversation, and Marinette didn't look too happy about it...

\----------

"Spill girl! What's going on with you and Adrien?" Alya pressed, very eager to know why Marinette and Adrien had acted out of character earlier that morning.

"Nothing. This morning was the first time I've seen Adrien since the last time the four of us hung out," she lied coolly. Though, in a way, it wasn't _technically_ a lie. She, Marinette, still had yet to see Adrien. She had seen them both as Ladybug, and Chat as herself, but she hadn't seen Adrien as Marinette until this morning.

"How have you not been freaking out though?! You could barely even say a sentence to the guy without a practical meltdown. Now I'm supposed to believe that you can have an actual conversation with him without batting an eye? And that he is the one that's about to lose it when speaking to you?" Alya exclaimed, crossing her arms after she had flailed them around to emphasizing her shock and frustration.

"Yeah, you're supposed to believe it, as that's what's happening, Alya," said Marinette dully.

"But you still like him, right?" Alya asked.

"Of course," she replied, not missing a beat. "I just... how can I get anywhere with him, if I can't even speak to him? So I decided I'm just going to talk to him as I do anyone else."

But Alya wasn't buying this. There's no way that Marinette, who would make herself out to look like a bumbling moron in front of him, would be able to talk to him like it was nothing. Especially not after he was in another country for nearly 2 years, without contact. Something was up, and Alya was going to find out.

"Whatever you say, Marinette," Alya said, pretending to let it go.

\----------

The four of friends sat at their lunch table, Marinette and Adrien irritated with their friends, eating in silence. That is, until Adrien let Marinette know that he got the go-ahead from his father to visit her house after school.  
She gave him a smile, and a "that's great" before they slipped back into a comfortable silence. Nino and Alya exchanged looks.  
"Nino, can I talk to you a moment?" asked Alya, her tone sounding innocent.

 _Oh no..._ thought Nino. _I know where this is going. _  
Nino followed her until they were out of hearing range.__

__"Alya - " Nino began, but his girlfriend had thrown a hand up to stop him._ _

__"I know something's going on between those two, and I'm going to find out what it is. We're going to follow them to Marinette's after school."_ _

__"Alya! We can't just go around following them. Give them a break, Adrien's just gotten back. Besides, don't you remember what happened when you thought Chloé was Ladybug? I think you need to chill out."_ _

__"We're following them," she demanded, a ring of finality to her tone.  
Nino groaned, rolling his eyes. "Of course we are..."_ _


	20. The Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alya is us.

The school day was finally over, much to Adrien's relief. He met up with Marinette on his way out, unbeknownst to them that they were being trailed by their friends.

"So... why are we following them, exactly?" asked Nino.

"Since they think they're all alone, I want to see if they're going to act like... you know, a couple. Hand holding, arm around the shoulder, a peck on the cheek..." Alya answered, ducking behind a building.

"And what if they _are_ dating? Isn't that what you want?" Adrienette and LadyNoir were seriously her OTPs. One pairing her best friends, and the other, Paris' most popular and loved celebrities. Even though Chat Noir hasn't been seen publicly in over 2 years, the people of France (and other parts of the world) hope to see them reunite again.

"Yes, of course! But I'm going to be so mad at that girl if she's secretly dating him. I want to know all the deets as they happen!" fire burned in Alya's eyes. And when that occurred, there was no turning back.

"Okay babe, I think you need to turn it down just a notch -"

"Look! Look! Something's happening!" Alya squealed, pointing dramatically at the two in front of her.

It appeared to her that Adrien was brushing back some of Marinette's hair. In reality...

"Oh, uh, Marinette? You sort of have a - a ladybug in your hair," he said, reaching for the bug.

"Huh? Oh, thanks," she said with a giggle. They watched the little red bug fly away.

"Speaking of - of ladybugs," Adrien stuttered, "What do you think of Ladybug?"

Marinette turned her head away for a moment, so Adrien wouldn't see the knowing smile she had playing on her lips. She composed herself before turning back to answer.

"I think Ladybug's great. But I prefer Chat Noir, honestly."

Adrien gaped at her. "You do?"

"Yeah, he's a great person. A bit of a flirt, cocky, and full of puns, but he really is amazing."

"You sound like you know him... Do you?"

"I do," she smiled, staring straight ahead. "Quite well."

She surely wouldn't be saying that just from their conversation last night. And the only other times she's encountered Chat, she wouldn't get much info about him then...  
But as curious as he was, he would think about this later. He had another question to ask her, and he wasn't going to waste any time.

His tone was teasing. "Which do you prefer: me or Chat Noir?"

"No."

"What?" asked Adrien.

"No," she repeated. "I'm not answering that."

"Why not?"

"I'm not saying anything else about it. Though, I have a feeling you want to ask me something else," she nudged him slightly.

"I do have another question. Chat Noir or Carapace?"

Marinette certainly wasn't expecting this one.  
"Chat Noir, of course."

"How come?"

"Carapace is a great superhero, and some of those close-calls Ladybug had would've had her end up being hospitalized or worse, without Carapace, but there's no question about it. Chat Noir is everything to Ladybug."

Adrien felt warmth radiate from his chest, throughout the rest of him at her words.  
_Chat Noir is everything to Ladybug._  
He knew he was important to her, but he never really thought much of it. To hear someone say that was everything to _him_.  
They were approaching the bakery, Adrien picking up his pace, when Marinette stopped.

"Before you go in, I want to apologize in advance for my parents," she rushed, a tinge of pink on her face. She looked quite nervous.

"What? But I love your parents," Adrien blinked in confusion.

"Well... they're very nosy. Remember when you came over to practice for the gaming tournament, and they kept coming up?"

"Oh yeah, I remember. Your dad sure makes a delicious salmon and spinach pie!" and as he said it, his stomach growled. He would no doubt buy something from the bakery as soon as he got in, despite his father's orders.

Marinette sighed, "Just...don't take anything they say too seriously, alright?"

"Okay," Adrien agreed.

As the two walked into the bakery, Nino and Alya stepped out from their hiding place, near their old school.

"We're going in," said Alya.

"What?! Come on, Alya. They're working on the project. Which is something we should be doing, instead of wasting time, stalking our friends."

"Just a few minutes. Then we'll work on the project," she told him, not even glancing his way. She made a beeline for the bakery.

When they walked in, the place was packed. Adrien and Marinette were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey kids!" Sabine greeted them. "Marinette and Adrien are upstairs. Go on up," she gestured her head towards the blue door in the back.

"Thanks Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!" Alya waved, dragging her boyfriend behind her.

They walked up the stairs and opened the door leading to where the Dupain-Cheng's lived. The front room was empty of Marinette and Adrien as well.

"They're in her room," Alya whispered, pointing toward the steep, white stairs in the kitchen.

She dragged her boyfriend to the stairs. Her trap door was open, so if they sat just below it, they would be able to hear what was being said.

"Have you thought about who the presentation should be about?" they heard Marinette ask.

"Uhhh..." it was silent after that. Adrien had shaken his head in reply.

"I was thinking... well, I always found the Louisiana Purchase to be quite fascinating, and how two explorers traveled thousands of miles on foot, traveling across treacherous and frigid mountains, through dense and unfamiliar forests, and across plains to make it to the Pacific Ocean, and then back again," she told him, very animatedly. "So I was thinking, how about Meriwether Lewis or William Clark? Both of their histories are very interesting, in different ways."

"Adventurer's... that sounds pretty cool!" Adrien exclaimed. "Which one should we do the project on?"

"Uhh, how about we look them up, and see which one sounds best," Alya and Nino heard shuffling, and the sound of Marinette's desk chair rolling around.

For a couple of minutes, all they heard was the clicking of the mouse.

"Let's go, Alya," whispered Nino, "they're just working on the project. And I don't want to get a bad grade on this."

"Okay, okay. We'll go..." Alya said, sounding defeated. She wanted to get proof, but that wouldn't be happening today.

Shortly after they left, Marinette had pulled up a webpage dedicated to the two, and Adrien hovered over her shoulder, reading what was on the screen.  
Then he realized a little too late that he was just a bit too close to her.  
He jumped back.

"Ah, I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to, it's just that-" he babbled uncomfortably.

Marinette looked back at him, confused. She watched as he stumbled, running into the desk chair he had been sitting in prior.  
"Ow!" he muttered.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Uh-huh, I'm... I'm great. How about you read off about Lewis and Clark," he suggested. He decided to wander around the room, it had been such a long time since he'd been in here.

Marinette had more mannequins in her room, displaying her current design projects. He inspected them closely, fascinated with her detail and style, as she spoke.

"Ah, could you come over here a second and look at this?" she called over to Adrien.

He started making his way over to her desk, when he ran into her chaise.  
"Seriously, ouch..." he mumbled.

Marinette got up from her desk, and walked over to him.  
"Are you sure you're alright? I don't recall you ever being clumsy. I'm the clumsy one, remember?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just... not quite feeling myself today," he chuckled nervously.

Marinette looked down at him, concerned. "Maybe a snack will help? I'll go get something from the bakery. Just don't hurt yourself while I'm gone, please."

She descended the stairs. Adrien decided it was a good time to look around her room a bit more closely.  
He saw pictures of their friends on her wall above her desk, as well as cut-outs of items of clothing.  
Pinned next to a picture of the four friends, was the letter he wrote to Marinette before he left for New York. It made him smile that she cared enough about it to display it on her wall. Then he noticed there was something...something hiding behind it.

Adrien took the pin out of the wall, grabbing his letter, and what was hiding underneath. His breath caught in his throat as he read the first line; Dear Bugaboo.

But... but how could she have this letter? He had written it to Ladybug, for Master Fu to give to her.  
But that would mean...that would mean Marinette is Ladybug. It's not like he hadn't noticed similarities before, or hear her say something to him that made him wonder, but there's no way Marinette could be Ladybug. There's no way it would be that perfect.  
Only, here it was, proof right in his hand.

Quickly, he put Chat's letter behind Adrien's and pinned it back where it had been on the wall.  
He sat down in the desk chair, resting his head in his hands, thinking.  
_Marinette is Ladybug? Is she really? Or am I just hoping that they're both the same person, to justify liking both girls?_  
A minute later, Marinette was back with a tray of cookies and croissants, and some water.

"Here," she offered him. He looked up, his face pale, and his body slightly shaky.  
He grabbed a cookie and took a nibble of it.

"Adrien," her brow furrowing, "you don't look well. I think you should go home and rest. We can work on the presentation later."

"A-are you sure?" he stammered, before chugging down some water.

"I'll work on it some tonight, and text you about it later," she smiled at him, but the worry never left her eyes.

"If you're sure..." Adrien said, heading towards the stairs. "I'll talk to you later."

She waved at him as he began walking down. "Feel better!"  
The look on her face, reminded him so much of Ladybug, it was overwhelming. How did he not see it before?

His Princess was his Lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting the next chapter later today! c:


	21. When I'm Ready

When Adrien arrived home, he headed directly to his room. Natalie and the Gorilla were trying to get him to tell them what was wrong, as he clearly didn't look well, but he was so lost in thought that he didn't notice.

"You finally know who Ladybug really is, huh?" Plagg said, escaping Adrien's jacket. "How do you feel?"

Adrien was lying on his bed, an arm covering his eyes. His face a vivid scarlet.  
"I feel... I feel like I somehow already knew. I mean I suspected her, even before I moved to New York, but deep down it's like... I've always known. I just needed it to be proven to me," his grin stretched across his face. He was completely elated.  
"She was pretty much telling me who she was earlier, too. I should've known..."

Plagg snickered. "Just wait until she finds out how you figured out the last piece to the puzzle."

Adrien removed his arm from his face to give Plagg a glaring look.

"What? You're going to have to tell her eventually." He then did an imitation of Adrien. _"'Marinette, I found out you were Ladybug by snooping through your room, where I found the letter Chat wrote to Ladybug behind the one I wrote to you.'_ Yeah, I'm sure she'll _love_ that."

"I'm not even going to tell her I know yet," Adrien said in response.

"What?! Why not?!" Plagg demanded, flying over to Adrien. "Are you crazy, kid?!"

He sighed. "Marinette has had practically two years to get used to the fact that I'm Chat Noir. Now, I'd like to take a little time to let it sink in, without her knowing that I know. Then, when I'm ready, I'll tell her I know... _and_ how I found out."

"Well... I suppose there could be some benefits in waiting..." Plagg trailed off. His devious tone caught Adrien's attention.

"Like?"

"Nah, you can find out for yourself. Maybe. Mmmm, I'm hungry," he zipped up the stairs, where his secret stash of Camembert was kept.

Usually Adrien would've been very annoyed at his Kwami, but he was too happy to care.

An hour later, he received a text.

  
**Marinette [6:23 PM]:** Hey, I think we should do the presentation on William Clark. He lived about twice as long as Meriwether Lewis, so he contributed a lot more to history. What do you think? Also, I hope you're feeling better!

Adrien had the strongest urge to reply with puns and calling her Princess, but he was determined to keep her in the dark for now. She might know he's Chat Noir, but if he loosely uses puns in front of Marinette, she'll suspect he knows.

 **Adrien [6:26 PM]:** I'm feeling a lot better. Thank you for worrying about me. :) I think William Clark would be a good choice. The more material we have to work with, the better, right? Sorry for leaving early, but I'll give 110% on it tomorrow.

 **Marinette [6:32 PM]:** I think so, too. Anyway, if you're up for it tonight, could you do some research?

 **Adrien [6:34 PM]:** Sure, just tell me what you need.  


He laughed to himself. Marinette might not think she's like Ladybug, but even when she's not suited up, she takes control of a situation, while he blindly follows her.

A few minutes later, Plagg had come back down with some cheese in hand.

"I decided I'm going to tell her once the project is over," he announced, taking his eyes off the screen to look at the cat Kwami. "I think I'll be ready, then."

Plagg was still munching on the stinky cheese. "Good kid, good. Ahhh, just like this cheese," he nearly purred.  
Adrien rolled his eyes in response, before turning his attention back to the screen.

The next couple of weeks went by. Adrien and Marinette spent a lot of time together, working on the project. Alya made her suspicions obvious to the two, both of which blushed when approached with the concept of them secretly dating.  
Adrien kindly told her that they were just working on the presentation, but she didn't buy it. However, Nino knew both Adrien and Marinette very well and knew they weren't lying. But he also could tell something else was going on with them.

One day during patrol, Carapace, and Ladybug were atop a random Parisian building, waiting for Rena Rouge and Queen B to show up.

"Uh, so I've been meaning to ask you something," Carapace said nervously. "Don't hurt me or anything, but you know how... she has been bugging you about him?"

Ladybug laughed. "Yeah?"

"I know you're both telling the truth, but... I can also tell there's something else going on," he looked determinedly at her.  
Ladybug opened her mouth to speak, but instead looked down at the ground.

"Look, I don't expect you to tell me anything if you don't want to. But remember that if there's something going on that you need to talk about, I'm here. Always," he reminded her. "And er, he has been acting so different around you, and he's been so quiet about it. He was never shy to tell me about his crush on Ladybug, so I can't help but worry a bit, you know?"

She looked surprised at him. "He told you about that?"

"Yeah, of course. But I didn't know he told you," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Uh, well, he didn't. Exactly. I...kind of realized after I encountered him as Ladybug. Which happened a lot, because A- I mean, _he_ was involved in some of the akuma attacks." Ladybug said awkwardly, sounding a bit frantic. She only really caught on that he had a crush on Ladybug when he was Chat Noir, but she wasn't going to say anything about that.

"Ah. Rena Rouge and Queen Bee are coming," he pointed to the yellow and orange that could be seen moving a few rooftops away. 

"I think today's going to be a quiet day," Carapace sighed. 

"What, do you want an akuma attack?" she asked him in shock. 

"Of course not! It's just been awhile since we've really done anything, and I'm bored." 

"Hey Turtle, what's with the face?" Rena Rouge smirked, mocking him, as usual. 

"Psh," was all he said, as he crossed his arms and looked away from her. 

"Same to you," she replied bitterly, crossing her arms as well. 

Ladybug and Queen Bee exchanged glances, shrugging their shoulders in confusion. 

"What's going on here?" asked Queen B. She walked up to Carapace. "I know you guys have had some... _issues_ from the start, that thankfully haven't translated into our akuma fights, but seriously, you've got to work whatever this is out. You're driving me crazy here!" 

"It's on him!"  
"It's on her!" the two superheroes said at the same time. 

"Queen B is right. You guys have to work your problems out before they escalate any further," Ladybug walked toward the edge of the building, getting her yo-yo ready. "Bee, why don't we leave the two of them to talk." 

"Right," she agreed, walking towards Ladybug before she turned around. "And you two _better_ have worked things out before we all meet again, or so help me..." Queen B snarled. 

"Easy, Bee," Ladybug tried to soothe her. "They'll get it worked out, I'm sure," she gave the two bickering heroes another look before she took off with Queen B. 

__

Only, Carapace and Rena Rouge hadn't worked everything out. In fact, it was quite the opposite. 

__


	22. Breaking Point

"What is _with_ you?!" Rena Rouge shouted as soon as Ladybug and Queen B were out of sight.

"Me? What's with _me_?!" Carapace asked, completely outraged. "You're the one that started this first!"

Rena Rouge crossed her arms. "Uh, no, it was all _you_ ," she jabbed at his chest.

"Let me _refresh your memory_ here, _chica_ , because clearly, you need it," Carapace gave a cold laugh. "We had literally _just met_ and you were already giving me trouble!"

"That's not true!"

"Yeah, it kind of is! You made fun of me first, how do you think I'd react after you constantly treat me that way? And I don't even know why! I've never done anything to you, but help you!" he spat.

"Tch, you know what? I'm _out_!" Rena Rouge stormed off.

" _Fine_! I didn't want to talk to you anymore anyway!" he bellowed after her.

Rena Rouge ran for a few moments, but it was enough to get herself a good distance away from him. She ducked into an alleyway to detransform and immediately sunk to the ground, tears overwhelming her.

"A-Alya?" Trixx asked gently.

Alya just sniffled.

"Why is it that you treat him that way?" she wondered, her tone gentle.

"You know why, Trixx. I'm a t-terrible person, and when I see him, I just... I just c-c-can't help it!" she bawled, covering her face with her knees.

Her Kwami just sat on her shoulder, giving her silent support, while stroking Alya's face with her paw, hoping to provide some comfort.

\-----

A few days had gone by. Marinette and Adrien noticed their friends were acting strangely.

"Do you know what's up with them?" Adrien asked Marinette during Mr. Mathieu's class one morning, gesturing over towards their friends who looked like you would get your head ripped off if you approached them.

Marinette shook her head. "Neither of them have told me anything. Though I've noticed that Nino is just outright irritated, and Alya, not only is she irritated, but sometimes it seems like she's about to cry. Which isn't like her at all. When she sees Nino, sometimes she shies away from him. And yet, when I've asked, both have said there wasn't an argument or anything like that."

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, I think we're going to have to interfere. Clearly, they have issues they need to resolve," Adrien said, leaning his head on his arm as he looked over at his troubled friend.

"You're right, but it seems they don't even know what those are..."

"How about tomorrow we plan for the four of us to hang out. Maybe we can help resolve their issues then?" he suggested.

"That's good! Maybe it's just the stress from the project? Thank goodness we present today," she sighed in relief.

He was in a way, relieved too. He'd tell her tonight that he knows she's Ladybug, and there finally wouldn't be all the hardship that comes with keeping your identity a secret coming in between them anymore.

At lunch, the two asked the unhappy couple if they were up for hanging out the following day. They both reluctantly agreed.

The day had gone by relatively fast, at least for Marinette, and although she hadn't become Ladybug once, she felt beyond exhausted.  
"So glad to be done with that project Tikki, it was draining me," she slumped over the railings on her balcony.

Tikki giggled. "I know, it seems like all you've been doing the past week and a half is stare at a computer screen!"

"There was just so much stuff! I'm so glad this was a partner project, I don't know what I would've been able to do if I didn't have Adrien."

"He's a pretty great partner, in every way, isn't he?" Tikki nudged her delicately.

Marinette's face went red, but it was hardly visible due to the night. Then her expression changed.

The little bug Kwami noticed she didn't look very happy.  
"What's wrong, Marinette?"

"I'm worried about Alya and Nino. Tomorrow, Adrien and I are going to see if we can help, but... there's something wrong. Alya's been _emotional_ which isn't really like her at all."

"I know you've been worried, but there's nothing you can do for them at the moment. I think you should wind down a little, relax. You've had a hard week, and it clearly shows," Tikki squeaked. "You were fighting to stay awake earlier."

"Yeah... you're right... Oh, Chat's coming," she said as she saw a black figure quickly moving around the rooftops. Tikki disappeared.

"Marinette," he greeted her as he approached. She rushed up to give him a hug the second he landed.  
"I have something I want to talk to you about. In here," he gestured down towards her room.

Once inside, Chat began. "I was going to tell you this a few days ago, but then I decided I needed more time," he took a deep breath. "When I was over here last week, for our presentation, I found out. Now, I know right now you're thinking 'why is he saying this, I'm not supposed to know who Chat Noir is under the mask,' but I'm telling you this, because that day... I found out that you're Ladybug."  
That last sentence rang through the air.

Marinette grinned. "Good. I was wondering how many hints it was going to take for you to figure it out. What did it?"

He wasn't expecting that reaction. "Uh... w-well, actually. You might not like this, but," he swallowed. "When you left to get snacks from the bakery, I looked around your room. I had already thought that you were possibly Ladybug, and I was curious. Then I saw the pictures you had pinned to your wall, and I saw the letter I wrote you."

She smiled, looking at him lovingly.

"Then I saw that there was something behind it, and discovered it was the letter Chat wrote to Ladybug, and the only way you could have it is if you were Ladybug, and - and well..." he let out a deep sigh, ruffling his messy Chat hair.

"Adrien," her tone serious, but not angry. "I'm not mad at you for that. Not to say I approve of you snooping around in someone's room," she gave him a stern look, "but I'm glad you finally found out, _minou_ ," she reached up, and pet him behind his cat ears.

Tikki made herself known, Chat Noir glanced over at her.  
"Hi, I'm Tikki! Nice to officially meet you, Adrien," she greeted him sweetly.

"Nice to meet you as well, Tikki," he smiled at her, and gave her a little wave.

"I hate to sound like I'm trying to get rid of you, Adrien, but Marinette's exhausted, and she needs to rest," Tikki looked over at her, a concerned expression on her face.

"Wow Marinette, your Kwami is wonderful, caring about your well-being like that. I'm jealous," he looked back at Tikki a kind smile on his face. Tikki blushed.

"Thank you, Adrien. But I mean it, she needs some sleep. And I'm sure you could use some, too. It's been a long couple of weeks."

He yawned. "You're not wrong. I'll see you early tomorrow then, Purrincess."

Marinette laughed and stood up on her tip-toes to kiss him. "Goodnight, dork."

\-----

Adrien left his room upon arriving home, to bid his father goodnight. Except, Gabriel Agreste wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Hey Natalie?" Adrien asked his father's assistant. "Do you know where my father is?"

Natalie looked up from her desk. "Yes, your father is out. You can wait up for him, or I can tell him you've gone to bed when he gets back."

What a perfect opportunity. "I'll... be going to bed. Awfully tired. Thanks, Natalie."  
He turned and left the room, but instead of heading back to his bedroom, he sneaked down to the dining room. Where the portrait of his mother hung once again, and no doubt, the safe that was hiding behind it.

Plagg opened the safe, and Adrien reached for the Peacock Miraculous that resided within it.  
Dusuu was released, the room glowed a bright blue.

"Adrien!" the Peacock Kwami cried.

"I'm sorry it's been awhile, Dusuu, but my father's almost never out. We're back in Paris now."

"Ohhh," Dusuu let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Because Adrien, we have to find your mother."

"I know. Do you know where she is? What happened to her?"

"Adrien," the Kwami said again. "The only way we can find your mother is if the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are combined."

He looked at the Peacock Kwami in shock. "Isn't- Isn't that what Hawkmoth's goal is? To combine the two Miraculous?"

"Yes. Which is what you'll need to do. You, or Ladybug, that is. One of you must wear both Miraculouses to unleash the power necessary to find her. And even then, you couldn't do it alone."

Ladybug. Ladybug would have to be the one to do it. He might be a superhero, but not only could he not wear the earrings, he just wasn't as competent as Ladybug was. If anyone could find his mother, it's her.

"I don't get it though..." Adrien said, his face scrunched up in confusion. "How would that find my mother?"

"Actually, it's a bit -"

_**CRASH. BOOM. RUMBLE.** _

Paris was under attack, and if it was from an akumatized victim, this one was a beast. It sounded as if a war was going on outside his window.  
Adrien rushed up to his room, the Peacock Miraculous in hand, Dusuu and Plagg hiding in his jacket.  
He looked out the window, to see what he could of the city, up in flames.  
Adrien booted up his computer to check the news, to see what was going on. Although his first instinct was to transform, he had promised Ladybug - promised Marinette - that he wouldn't transform into Chat Noir to help Team Miraculous until the end of this week.  
So instead, he watched intently, in case he was needed. Promise or not, if his Lady needed him, he'd be there. Screw his personal safety.

He sat there, feeling helpless. All of Team Miraculous, apart from him - though he had never worked with three of the four - were on the scene.

The cameraman zoomed in on Carapace and Rena Rouge, both arguing with each other, paying little attention to the akumatized victim.

The victim, dressed like a deranged World War II General, had been bombing and blasting the city. He spoke in a foreign language, which made his evil cackling and destructiveness even more bone-chilling to witness.

Ladybug and Queen B fought as hard as they could, but they clearly needed help, and they needed it fast. He could see Queen B yelling over at the two to help, but they paid her no attention.

It was then, that the akumatized victim, apparently known as General Destruction, threw a massive bomb at the building next to them. It crumbled into pieces, and Ladybug was directly under where the rubble would fall.

Adrien watched as Queen B frantically threw some of her honey-like goo to stop the debris, but there was only so much she could do.  
Ladybug tried to get out of the way, but she wasn't quick enough, her sleep deprivation weighing on her.

He watched helplessly as a 3-foot chunk of building knocked Ladybug to the ground.


	23. Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be a bit of angst in the next few chapters. Just a warning. c:

Screaming. Crying. Explosions.  
Those were the sounds emitting from Adrien's computer.  
But Adrien was long gone.

Chat Noir was bounding towards the scene of the accident, his heart racing and his stomach rolling.  
Smoke was everywhere, suffocating, making it hard for him to breathe, hard to continue on. But he didn't care, he was going to get to her, even if it killed him.  
_Please be okay..._ echoed through his mind continuously. _Please... Just let her be okay..._

Queen B ran to Ladybug's side as quickly as she could, and pushed the rubble off her.  
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the blood.

Carapace and Rena Rouge ran up, their faces horror-struck. Queen B turned to them, trying to keep her breathing as even as possible to remain calm.

"Is she...is she..." Carapace murmured weakly.

"She's breathing, thank goodness, but she's unconscious. Carapace, you need to use your shield to protect her from further harm until help arrives. I don't know how well this will work with her super suit in the way, but I'm going to see if I can stop the bleeding. "

Seconds later, sirens could be heard, a civilian yelled over to them that they had called an ambulance for Ladybug.

"What are we going to do without Ladybug? How can we fight this akuma, and purify it ourselves?" Rena whimpered, her voice shaking with fear.

"I have an idea," Carapace said. "But we have to get the item the akuma has resided in."

When the ambulance pulled up, Carapace used his powers to protect the paramedics as they hurried to Ladybug. Pieces of buildings, cars, and even weapons were being flung everywhere.  
Though there was only so much the paramedics could do for her while she was in her magical super suit. Really all they could attempt to do was stop the bleeding, and lift her onto the gurney as gently as possible.

Chat Noir arrived in time to see her being wheeled into an ambulance, a feeling of both dread and relief coursing through him. Her identity would remain safe, considering she hadn't detransformed in the public eye. But was she alright? Was she...was her heart still beating?

He had an overwhelming urge to follow her, but there was an akuma on the loose, and the rest of Team Miraculous needed his help. She would want him to help the others. He fought with himself a moment before he gave in to his better, selfless side.

He leaped over to where the team was standing.

"Chat Noir?!" the three said in unison as he made himself known.

"Where's the akuma hiding, Carapace?" Chat Noir asked through gritted teeth.

"H-his hat," Carapace stammered, Chat's demeanor startling.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do," Chat took charge. "Carapace, you shield us from any falling debris. Rena Rouge, use your speed to keep him distracted. Queen B, I need your help getting his hat. And let's make this quick, I need to get to Ladybug ASAP," he couldn't lose his head. Not yet. They were counting on him. His Lady was counting on him. It took everything he had not to start crying on the spot, or to vomit.

The three superheroes emotions were running high. They had just watched Ladybug become fatally injured, bleed, and be carted off to a hospital. They were frightened by the akuma victim. And they felt uneasy by Chat Noir's sudden appearance. They could tell something was boiling just beneath the surface. But they weren't going to let that stop them from listening to Chat, because they needed him.

Carapace's time was almost out, so they needed to work fast. He expanded his shield, bending it at will, to protect his team wherever they moved. Vixen ran and dodged behind rubble and cars, avoiding the akuma's attacks, as she had become General Destruction's prime target.  
Chat Noir stealthily scaled a nearby building, propping himself up at the top. Queen B did the same on the opposite side of the street.  
Chat called Queen B.

"When I give the signal, I need you to use that honey-goo stuff to stick to his hat, and pull it backward. I'll swoop down, snatch the hat, and bring it to Carapace. Alright?"

"Got it," she nodded, before closing her communicator. She watched Chat intently, waiting for his signal.

Chat waved his baton, causing the light from a streetlight nearby to reflect over in her direction.

She moved quickly, diving off the building. Queen projected the goo from her right arm, aimed down at the ground to keep her balanced, and from her left, she fixed her sights on General Destruction's hat.  
Once his hat had been yanked off his head, Chat plunged downwards, though still in mid-air, and grasped the hat. In one fluid motion, he flew through the air and landed beside Carapace.

"I got it," he huffed.

The superheroines quickly joined the boys behind the shield. The akuma was dazed, and between that, and the fact he wouldn't be able to try what needed to be done to contain the akuma in the hat, Carapace let down his shield.

"Hold it out," Carapace ordered.

Chat did what he was asked. Carapace held out his hands, palms out, and closed his eyes in concentration. He needed to form a shield around the item, that would remain even once he was detransformed. Whether or not that was possible, he was unsure of. But something in him told him this is what needed to be done.

"What are you going to do?" Vixen asked in a hushed tone.

Carapace grunted, "I'm going to... I'm trying to put up a shield around...the hat... to keep it from...escaping," he was using all his willpower and concentration. But nothing came.

"Just take a deep breath, and try again," Chat Noir suggested. "You can do this."

Carapace glanced at Chat Noir, who was looking at him confidently. Chat trusted him to take care of the akuma, and that was exactly what he was going to do.  
His Miraculous beeped.  
One minute left.

Carapace gave a nod, took a deep breath, as suggested, and focused back on the akumatized object.  
A faint, light green glow began around the hat.  
_Just... a bit..._ more... he thought, his arms beginning to shake.  
His team watched as an orb formed around the hat, a glowing green orb.

He opened his eyes. Chat was holding the orb in his hands, a look of relief on his face.  
"Good job, Carapace," Chat patted him on the shoulder.  
Carapace looked a combination of pleased, exhausted, and drear.

Chat handed the orb to Queen B.  
"I'm sorry, but I have to get to Ladybug," and he was off, heading towards the nearest hospital. Vixen and Queen B gave each other a look, before going after him.

"I'll catch up!" Carapace called after them.

Because the man was no longer wearing the akumatized hat, he had returned back to his normal self.  
Carapace ran into an alleyway, that was pretty blocked off by debris, making it hard for anyone to see him.

"What have I done...?" Nino whispered in horror. "It's because of me, Ladybug's in the hospital. _My friend_ is in the hospital, because of me..."

"Nino, you can't focus on this now. Focus on transforming again to go and see how she's doing," Wayzz advised him. He nodded, and handed the Turtle Kwami a strawberry to recharge.

"Is Ladybug here?" Chat Noir asked a woman at the front desk. She gasped when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"Ch-Chat Noir?!" her bright brown eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped.

"Please, is Ladybug here?" his tone more urgent than before. Vixen and Queen B appeared behind him.

"Oh my... y-yes, she's here. They're taking her to a private room on the 5th floor," the woman pointed towards the elevator.

"Thank you," Chat gave her a kind smile, before heading towards the elevator with the girls.  
The woman was left blushing profusely.

"Wait!" a voice called. They turned around in the elevator to see Carapace running up, completely out of breath.  
Chat held the elevator door open for him.

"Thanks," he breathed, resting his arms on his knees to try to catch his breath.

Apart from his shallow breathing, the four were completely silent. All had something to say to someone, accusations, blame to be thrown.  
But not now. Now, they needed to see Ladybug.

When they arrived at the door, a doctor rushed up to stop them.  
"Stop! You can't go in there," he called.

"Why not? We have to make sure Ladybug's okay," Vixen said back.

The doctor's shoulders slumped slightly. "Because... she's not Ladybug. She's in her civilian form."


	24. Come Back To Me

"Please, sir, we have to see Ladybug," Carapace pleaded.

"In order to protect her identity, I'm sorry, but we cannot allow it," the doctor replied before he turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Chat exclaimed. "We're... she's my...." his eyes began to glisten, a single tear escaped, sliding down his mask. "I know... who she is. If I tell you her name, would you let me in to see her?"

The doctor looked at the distraught hero with pity.  
"Alright. Come with me," he sighed and led Chat Noir into a closed room.

"Chat Noir knows who Ladybug really is?!" Rena Rouge shrieked when Chat was in talking with the doctor.

"I guess so... And so do I," Carapace muttered, leaning his back against the wall, his arms crossed. He had a look about him like he was mad with the world.

Queen B and Rena Rouge stared at him in shock.

"Seriously?!" they both said together, surprise and irritation in their voices.

Carapace gave an annoyed sigh. "I've known since I became Carapace. I can't tell you how - or why - but I do. And she knows who I am."

"That explains it, then. You two always seemed to be close. We never understood that" Queen B had motioned towards Rena Rouge and back at herself.

Vixen glared at Carapace. "So, how'd you find out?"

Carapace's fists tightened. "I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"I think you know very well why not! We're not supposed to even tell each other who we are. I can't be giving information like that away!" Carapace said way too loudly, and not only because they were in a hospital, but such things shouldn't be discussed in public.

Vixen's face went red with anger. "Don't you go raising your voice at me!"

Queen B grew more and more livid with these two, with every passing moment. And after what happened tonight, she had finally reached her limit.

"E _nough_!" she hissed through her teeth, grabbing them both, and nearly throwing them into two nearby chairs.

You could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears, she was livid!

 _"Because of the bickering you two did earlier, Ladybug is lying in that hospital room... Most likely in serious condition... And you two have the_ nerve _to continue that here?!_ " Queen B's voice went up several octaves as she spoke.

Carapace and Vixen looked down, feeling completely ashamed and disgusted with themselves, both going silent.

Chat and the doctor came out of the room.  
"I only have a minute," he told them, quickly heading for Marinette's door.

"Can I go in after him? Just for a minute. I know who she is as well, so the identity thing's not an issue," Carapace knew it was unlikely, but he had to ask.

Chat Noir's cat ears twitched. Did he just say he knows Marinette?

"I'm sorry, but she's going to have to be taken in for a CT scan and an MRI as soon as they're ready for her. The rest of you, please wait here," said the doctor, whose name Chat learned to be Dr. Mason Sauveterre.

Dr. Sauveterre led him back to Marinette's door.  
"I'll wait here. Remember, just one minute. You and Team Miraculous can come back again tomorrow."

He nodded and stepped into the room, taking a deep breath. It was much roomier than he thought it'd be, and surprisingly more pleasant, too.  
She laid there, completely still. She had a tube hooked up to the IV inserted into her left hand. He was unsure what the liquid was that was in her IV tube. He tried not to focus on that.

Chat walked up to her bedside and knelt down. He didn't want to sit on the edge of her bed and disturb her. He took her right hand in his and gently rubbed his thumb over the top of it in gentle circles.

"Please open your eyes, Princess," he whispered. "I need to know that you're alright."  
He paused, hoping that in the silence, she would open her eyes, or say something cute and witty back at him, as per usual.  
But he didn't see Marinette's beautiful blue-bell eyes looking back at him, and the silence was deafening.

Tears started falling, his voice wavered, "It's your turn to be the one who comes back to me now, okay? I can't... I can't live in a world without you in it... Not again..."

He sniffed, wiping away his tears. Though it was pointless, as more fell from his bright green eyes, replacing them in an instant.

"Come back to me," he murmured, his voice thick. He cleared his throat, trying to shake off some of the sadness before having to deal with Team Miraculous and Dr. Sauveterre. As he headed towards the door, he heard his name.

"Chat...?"

That voice. It belonged to Marinette's Kwami.

"T-Tikki?" he asked, but he couldn't see where she was.

"I'm here," she waved her hand, hiding behind Marinette's pillow. "I need you to take me with you, there are some things I need to say to the rest of Team Miraculous. Can you hide me in your pocket?"

"Oh, o-of course." Tikki flew towards Chat Noir, he opened up his pocket enough for her to slip into. Given his suit was skin-tight, that left little room for her, and an obvious bulge to anyone looking. But that shouldn't matter much, she'd be free once they were out of the hospital.

He left the room, making sure to thank Dr. Sauveterre for giving him a minute with her.  
Chat walked up to the trio waiting for him.  
"We need a place where we can talk, and not some rooftop somewhere. Anyone have any ideas where?"

Carapace shrugged, Vixen looked deep in thought, and after a moment, Queen B spoke up.  
"I do. The Grande Paris Hotel. There are some conference rooms there, and I'm sure the Mayor would be more than happy to accommodate us," she gave a small, secretive smile, but no one paid attention.

And with Tikki in one pocket, the Peacock Miraculous in the other, and the akuma orb in hand, Chat, and Team Miraculous headed for the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is a short chapter, I'll post Chapter 25 later today!


	25. Chat's Out of the Bag

As they walked out of the hospital, Sabine and Tom Dupain-Cheng frantically rushed in. Chat was the only one of the four to notice.

He turned back to the group. "Would you excuse me, I have to go back in and speak to someone a moment. Wait for me here?" he handed the orb off to Carapace.

"Uh yeah, sure..." Carapace furrowed his brows in confusion but shrugged it off.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!" Chat called after them. They stopped in their tracks and spun around at the urgent tone of the person calling them. Sabine's eyes were red and puffy, clearly, she had been crying, and Tom was doing his best to hold it together for the sake of his wife.

"Chat Noir?" Tom said in surprise. He hadn't been seen in Paris in almost two years, so naturally, this was the response he was going to be getting tonight.

Chat jogged up to them. "Marinette's on the 5th floor. She's still unconscious, and she's currently in for a CT scan and MRI, but she seems stable."

The worry wrinkles in Sabine's forehead smoothed slightly, her face relaxing from intense worry and fear to a more moderate level of both.

"Do you know what happened to our daughter?" the petite woman asked, her voice breaking.

 _Stick to the truth as much as possible._  
"She...she was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, when that akumatized victim attacked. He bombed a building, and a piece from it hit her in the back."

Tom looked dissatisfied and shook his head in confusion. "But last we knew, she was at home, in her room. I don't understand how she could've gotten into the midst of an akuma attack..."

"We probably just didn't notice her leave, Tom," Sabine rubbed his arm reassuringly. She turned back to Chat Noir. "We saw what happened to Ladybug... We're so sorry..."

"If there's anything we can do for you, Chat Noir, let us know," Tom added in.

Chat was surprised by their kindness. Their daughter was in the hospital, and yet, they were concerned about him. They were so very different from his father, so caring about others even when there was tragedy in their lives. So friendly and kind... They reminded him of his mother.

He cleared his throat, attempting to get rid of some of the emotion that was welling up inside of him. "Thank you, but I should be the one saying that to you."

Sabine looked up at him with her kind eyes. "You and Team Miraculous have done so much for us already. Keeping our city, and our daughter safe... Marinette's told us of the times you've kept her from harm. Thank you, Chat Noir," she gave the superhero a hug. It was a mother's hug. Warm, gentle, and full of love.  
He started making choking noises, startling Sabine. She pulled away, looking up at the young man in the leather suit.

"I-I'm sorry," he sniffed, wiping his eyes. "You just... you reminded me of my mother, and well, she's... not around anymore..." he looked down at the ground, trying not to fall apart completely.  
But Sabine and Tom understood. This boy, whoever he was, was truly a hero. He clearly had a lot of hardships in his life from the look he held in his bright green eyes, but here he was, saving and helping the people of Paris once again.

Sabine wiped away a tear of his that had fallen onto his cheek. She gave him a warm smile, "Your mother would be very proud of you, young man."

Chat smiled, though he didn't feel like she would be. He couldn't protect Paris for nearly two years. And because of it, he abandoned Ladybug. Because of his safety, her safety was in jeopardy instead. "If Marinette wakes up before I'm back again, could you tell her that I came by?"

"Will do," Tom patted him on the shoulder.

Chat thanked them for their kindness and made his way back to the rest of Team Miraculous.

\------------------------------

"Excuse me, could you let us borrow one of the conference rooms, please?" Queen Bee asked the concierge politely, whose eyes had gone wide at the sight of her, and the three superheroes that stood behind her.

"Of course, Queen Bee! Right this way," he led them through a door in the back, and down a long hall before reaching several doors. He unlocked one of them and held it open for the team. Inside was a very luxurious room, with a long and dark wooden table and over a dozen padded chairs.  
"Is there anything I could get you, Team Miraculous?"

"Just water, for now, thank you," Queen Bee said, dismissing him.  
They all took their seats at the table, and before any of them had a chance to speak, they were presented with glasses of ice-cold water.  
"If you need anything else, let me know," the concierge told them before shutting the door behind him as he exited.

The three superheroes turned to Chat Noir, giving him their undivided attention.

"First off, I'd like you to meet someone," he unzipped his zipper pocket, and Tikki jetted out of it.  
The trio gaped at her.  
"Hi, I'm Tikki, Ladybug's Kwami," she introduced herself. She wasn't in her usual cheery and happy mood. "Rena Rouge and Carapace, what were you two thinking?" she asked in a hushed tone. "Ladybug was counting on you to help her, and you just stood there arguing. You can't let your personal issues interfere with your superhero duties. The consequences could end up being dire, as you saw today." Her little eyes glistened, she was worried sick about Marinette.

Rena Rouge and Carapace looked away from each other, frustration and guilt on their faces. Although the Kwami wasn't yelling and didn't sound exactly angry, her disappointment did more than raising her voice could ever do.

Carapace turned to Chat Noir after a few moments of silence.  
"You know what I don't get? Why you haven't been here to help us the past two years, but when Ladybug gets hurt, you come running? She needed you!" he pointed at him angrily. "Do you know what it was like seeing her reaction every time a reporter said your name? You, of course, wouldn't know this, but I watched her eyes go blank whenever she thought of you. I saw the pain that was there, I watched her cry her eyes out on more than one occasion over you. She told me how much it hurt her that you left, wondering if she was ever going to see you again. But now you choose to come back?!" he slammed his fist on the table, causing the girls to jump.

Carapace's words were like a knife in Chat's heart, cutting deeper and deeper with every word he spoke.

"You think I don't know that? You think that it didn't kill me to be away from her?!" his voice wavered, rising. "Ladybug...this city...is everything to me. I had no choice but to leave. Not everyone's lucky enough to stay where they love, with the people they love. But by some miracle, I was finally able to find my way back to her. And it was under her orders that I stay low. She was worried people would find out my true identity if I, Chat Noir, was spotted. I wanted more than anything to be here, fighting by her side tonight. You don't think I regret listening to her?" he clenched his fists and his jaw. His eyes burned, fighting back the tears.  
"I saw you with her, footage on the Ladyblog. I kept up with it while I was away. Your over-protectiveness of her. The looks you gave her. What was that about anyway?" he asked, his tone accusing.

"She's a friend of mine, that I care about very much," remarked Carapace defensively.

"Ohh, is she now? How'd you find out who she is under the mask, huh?" Chat asked, his voice as cold as ice.

A cunning grin crossed his face, "she told me herself."  
Carapace knew that would bother Chat, as he knew he had been wanting to know who the girl was behind that mask for years.

Chat made a "tch" noise, clenching his jaw harder than before, his body shaking with anger. He glared at Carapace with pure hatred alight in his eyes. For years he wondered who his Lady was. He asked her on several occasions, and she was adamant about him being kept in the dark. Why would she tell this guy, this stranger, her most important secret? Unless she did love him... clearly she trusted Carapace, more than she had trusted him. His heart sank in his chest.

"Admit it," Chat's voice barely audible, his body continuing to tremble. "You love her, don't you?"

Rena Rouge's eyes darted over to Carapace, hurt very apparent on her face.

Carapace said nothing. If looks could kill, the look Chat gave him would have certainly done the job.

"You know what? This needs to stop," Queen Bee said adamantly. _"Now."_

"I agree," Tikki said. "I know who all of you are under those masks of yours."  
The four looked at Tikki in surprise. Of course, Adrien and Nino had met Tikki, but each was unaware of her knowing the others.  
"I know the solution to the problems you're having with each other. Now, it's up to you all if you want to take my advice."

The superhero team looked at one another before Chat agreed to listen to what she had to say.  
"Normally, I would never suggest such a thing, but in this case, it's the best, and possibly only solution... You need to reveal your identities to each other."

"What?!" they all exclaimed. Chat and Rena Rouge had jumped up from their chairs.

"You'll have to trust me, and each other. But we can't let what happened, happen again. One of _you_ could get hurt next time, or worse. I'm sure your Kwami's would agree with me on this."

The heroes could sense their Kwami's, they too, agreed with Tikki. The group nodded their heads.

"Alright then. Considering I left Paris, left Ladybug, I feel some of you may have trust issues with me," he glanced over at Carapace, his eyes narrowing "I'll reveal who I am first," he walked over to the windows, and shut all the curtains before standing in an open space in the room.

A flash of green light filled the room, and Chat Noir was gone. In his place stood a familiar blonde, thin, but muscular model.


	26. Inner Turmoil

"A-Adrien?!"  
The three superheroes stammered. All wore different looks of shock on their faces.  
Rena Rouge was surprised, yet looked excited at the same time. Like something had just been proven to her.  
Queen B held her hand over her gaping mouth, blinking rapidly.  
But Carapace, although his eyes were wide, his brow was furrowed. He didn't understand. And yet, it all made sense.

Adrien took in their reactions, at first glaring intently at Carapace, but the way he was looking back at him, caused his expression to soften.

"I'm not surprised you know me, given my face is plastered all over Paris. Even still," he muttered bitterly. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. "I'm not just some pretty face. I refuse to be seen as such, so please, don't let the fact that I'm a model change how you see me in any way. ...But at least now you know why I wasn't around to save Paris for the past couple of years."

"Stop," Carapace said. "You don't need to explain yourself any further, dude. I totally get it."  
Adrien raised an eyebrow. Dude? He's seen a lot of interviews with the guy, as well as civilian footage, and not once did he ever speak all chill like that.

Carapace walked up next to Adrien, fist-bumping his shoulder before detransforming. The room was briefly illuminated with a bright teal color before it dimmed, revealing Nino.

Adrien's face lit up at the sight of his best friend standing next to him. "N-no way!" he exclaimed, giving him a fist bump. Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien's neck playfully.

"My turn!" Queen B said eagerly. She got up, walked up to the boys, and detransformed. A quick bright yellow light later and Chloé stood before them.

"Chlo!" Adrien gasped, taken aback a little. "You're Queen B?"

Chloé let out a laugh. "You sound so surprised, Adrien. Though I never thought I'd ever been the type to become a hero either, so I guess your reaction is understandable."

Nino guffawed, slapping his hand on his knee, and doubled over. Adrien and Chloé turned to look at him.  
"I can't believe it... you know, I had a feeling you were Queen B, but wow!" He laughed so hard, his eyes were beginning to tear. After a few moments, he calmed down and wiped the outer corner of his eyes. "By the way, when you threw us into those chairs earlier, that hurt. A lot," he shot her an irritated look.

"Well Nino, you deserved it," Chloé rolled her eyes, her arms crossed.

Nino sighed. "You're right, I did deserve it. I'm sorry, Chloé."

"Apology accepted, then," she straightened up, flashing him a smile.

The three turned to Rena, who just stood there in absolute shock.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked her, taking a small step towards her, his hand outstretched as if to offer her help or comfort. He expressed nothing for concern for her. She wasn't looking well.

"I should go," she rushed out in a weak voice and turned to head out the door before she was grabbed around the waist.

"Wait a minute! Please listen to me," Nino insisted, struggling to keep a hold of her, she was fighting to break free. "Tell us what's wrong. We're your team and your friends. We care about you. You don't have to show us who you are if you really don't want to, but you can trust us. We won't tell anyone who you are."

Rena Rouge stopped fighting him, and actually went limp in his arms. "That's...that's not it," she murmured. "It's... me... I have a boyfriend whom I love very much. He's really sweet, but a complete dork. Nothing was complicated about our relationship, not even how we got together. Everything was simple, and he means the world to me, I don't know what I'd do without him... And then I met you, Carapace, and I was falling for you. It- it scared me, so I pushed you away, the only way I knew how. And because of it, Ladybug got hurt, and I feel so bad about it that I can't..." she sunk down to the floor, and covered her face up with her hands.  
Nino crouched down next to her, rubbing her back gently.  
"And you know the worst, most gut-wrenching part of it? My efforts to push you away didn't even matter. There was no point!" she began to sob. "Because I found out my boyfriend _is_ Carapace!"

Nino gasped, his mouth popped open in shock. "A-A-Alya?!"  
She detransformed, letting off an orange light, and Alya was left crying on the floor.  
After he recovered himself from the initial shock, Nino softly chuckled and leaned towards her.

"Wanna know something?" he asked, a crooked smile on his face. "Believe it or not, Carapace fell for Rena Rouge, too."

"What?" her head shot up from her hands to look at him, though she could barely see him through the blurriness.

"It's not surprising when you think about it. I fell for the girl that was in the mask, and I was already in love with the girl underneath it. That's how I look at it, anyway. You don't have to feel guilty about it, because you're not alone," he leaned in and kissed her.

"Ewwww, so gross!" Plagg cried immediately, interrupting them.

Adrien groaned. "Shut up, Plagg! Be polite, would you?"

Everyone in the room, including the 4 other Kwami's, glared at him.

"I don't like human displays of affection," he turned his nose up in the air, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

"Oh really, Plagg? Because I know for a fact that that's not true," Tikki said slyly. "They're our Chosen's best friends, so be respectful."

"And they're _our_ Chosen's, so don't ruin their happiness!" Trixx yelled at Plagg, shooting him a dirty look.

"Well so-o-o-rry!" Plagg emphasized. "I don't do drama well, and that's all this night has been about. And I'm cranky because I didn't get any Camembert."

The Kwami's moaned and groaned at his behavior.  
"We haven't had anything to eat in awhile either, and you don't hear us complaining," Pollen spoke up.

"Actually, I had a nice, juicy strawberry just a little while ago," Wayzz interjected, rubbing his stomach. All the Kwami's gave him a dull look, causing him to sink down a little. "Never mind..."

"W-wait a minute," Alya whispered, standing up to look at everyone in the room.  
"If Chloé is Queen B, I'm Rena Rouge, you're," she pointed at Nino, "Carapace, and Adrien... you're Chat Noir...and Nino and Adrien know who Ladybug is... does that mean...?"

Nino and Adrien knew exactly where she was going with this. They both gave her solemn nods.

"Oh, what have I done?" she breathed in despair, her voice barely audible.

"Marinette's going to be alright, I know she is," Nino tried to comfort her, but he too felt the exact same way.

Adrien walked up to Alya and wrapped his arms around her. "It was a lapse in judgment. Even if you both had been paying attention, something could've gone wrong." Adrien looked over at Nino, continuing to speak. "I feel so guilty myself, for not being there at all when I should've been, and I lashed out at you, Nino, I'm sorry." He let go of Alya and held out his hand for Nino's.

"Don't sweat it, man, I get it," he shook his hand. "But I had no idea you were such a beast when you're jealous," he snickered.

"Yeah Adrien, who knew such a quiet and kind guy like you had it in you?" she teased, joining Nino in on the laughter, though considering she was still crying rivers, it came out as hiccups.

"Remember Copycat? His akumatiziation was because of my jealousy. Whenever I see a guy around Marinette or Ladybug, I just..." his expression hardened, and he let out a huff.

Alya giggled, feeling slightly better, "It's okay lover boy, she has eyes for only you. Trust me."

"A-anyway," Adrien cleared his throat, his face a bright red. He gestured for everyone to sit at the table. "Now that things are relatively calmer now, there are a couple of other things I needed to talk to you all about. One's quite major, and a bit selfish of me to ask, and bad timing with what's going on... But before I get to that, Nino, do you know how long that shield around the hat will work?"

"It shouldn't go out," said Wayzz, who was hovering above Nino's shoulder. Adrien was sitting at the end of the table, Nino to his right. "But I think we should bring it home with us tonight, in case it breaks."

"We need to make sure it stays in there until Ladybug's able to purify the akuma. Let's hope that's soon, otherwise, you're going to have a collection of them," Adrien pointed at the orb that hovered on the table.

"Alright, so what's this selfish favor you need to ask us, Adrien?" Chloé asked, sitting to his left.

"I'll show you," Adrien reached into his pocket, and pulled out the Peacock Miraculous. It began to glow, and Dusuu was released once more.

"This was my mother's Miraculous, and her Kwami Dusuu," he explained, gesturing towards the Peacock Kwami.  
"Hi!" greeted the little blue Kwami with an adorable wave. All the other Kwami in the room swarmed around her, greeting her for the first time in a long time, apart from Plagg that is.

"My mother has been missing, and Dusuu told me the only way she can be rescued is if someone wears both the Cat and Ladybug Miraculous. I think our best chance is if Marinette wears them. I found this out from Dusuu just before the akuma attacked tonight, and we were interrupted so I don't know very much yet..."

The group blinked at Adrien, completely perplexed.

"What...?" was all Nino could say. The others said nothing, simply staring.

"I'm not exactly sure what happened to her, but it sounds like the only way to get to her, to save her, is if all of us work together, which is why I'm asking for your help."

"Of course we'll help you," Chloé rested her hand on Adrien's arm. "Right guys?" she turned to Nino and Alya. They nodded happily. "And I know Marinette will want to help, too."

"But for now, we'll concentrate on Marinette's health, and keeping Paris safe. We'll bring it up to her when she's well... And speaking of, if we want to see her first thing tomorrow, we should all head home. Dusuu," he said, willing her to go back into the Miraculous. She nodded, and disappeared into it.  
"Anything else we need to discuss?" he asked the group. Everyone shook their heads.  
"Okay, time to transform and head home, then."

"Plagg, claws out!"  
"Trixx, let's pounce!"  
"Wayzz, shell on!"  
"Pollen, buzz on!"

The four transformed simultaneously, Tikki flew into Chat Noir's pocket and nestled inside. The group smiled at each other, smiling with joy and understanding. Their bonds as friends strengthened, some of their problems fixed after misunderstandings. But their eyes held a sadness, an emptiness because the group was incomplete. They had a long road ahead.


	27. Dreamscape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this whilst listening to 'Relaxation Music - 1 Hour Gentle Rain Meditation'.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSZVonXN-VA
> 
> It really enhances this chapter, so I'd highly suggest listening to it while you read!

It was dark and cold. Thunder rumbled in the background, rain fell steadily upon the earth. But it was somehow soothing, the rain.  
He was distraught, he didn't recognize anything. Was he lost? And he was so cold... so very cold...  
The young blonde man tightened his jacket in the front and ran for the old lit-up stone building across the street.

 _Am I back in New York?_ he wondered. _I thought I had gone back home to Paris..._  
He felt a sadness weigh down on him, adding on top of the pain and hurt he was already feeling. But he wasn't sure why it was there at all.

He reached the other side of the street, his feet splashing in puddles as he ran. He had hoped for a warm, dry place to take shelter from the storm, but when he approached the building, there wasn't a door anywhere to be seen.  
He wandered around aimlessly, hoping to take refuge from the cold rainstorm. But each time he found a light in the darkness, there wasn't a door there to let him in when he approached.

The man gave up, and hunched down against one of the stone building's walls, trying to keep as warm and dry as possible.  
That's when he heard the footsteps. He glanced over in the direction of the sound and saw a woman with long, raven-black hair that had a blue hue to it when the streetlight caught it.

"Are you alright?" she asked her voice a very gentle and calming sound. She held the umbrella she was holding over his head.

"I don't...I don't know," he muttered, before getting to his feet. He was a head taller than she was, which made it difficult for her to keep the umbrella high enough for him to remain dry.  
"Here, let me," he offered, taking the umbrella and holding it up so they were both shielded by it.

"Let's get you out of the rain," the woman said, motioning for him to follow her. He made sure to keep up with her pace, also making sure she wasn't ever out from under the shelter of the umbrella. After a minute or so, she led him to a little shop. As they entered, the bright light overwhelmed him, causing him to shield his eyes before they adjusted, and saw the cozy, homey little bakery. He had never seen anything like it before. It was like a café and bakery rolled into one, with comfy-looking pastel colored chairs with cushions, loveseats, and little tables organized perfectly around the room. Lots of beautifully crafted baked goods were on display, in many different colors and shapes. 

He watched the woman walk behind the counter, as he set the closed umbrella by the door, and followed her up to the counter, taking a seat on one of the stools.  
"Here," she offered him, pouring some hot chocolate into a mug. "It'll warm you up."

"Thank you," he said gratefully, cupping his hands around the hot mug. He shivered as he felt the warmth, and let out a pleasant sigh, before taking a sip.  
"You're Marinette," he said knowingly.

"H-how do you know my name?" Marinette asked in surprise, her head tilting slightly to her left.

"Because I'm Adrien," he told her, a warm smile that reached his eyes spread across his face.

Marinette looked down at the pitcher she held in her hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't know anyone named Adrien," she said sadly. What was this? Why did she feel this emptiness in her heart?  
She turned around to walk into the back room, where he wouldn't be able to see her, and he was afraid that if she walked out of sight, he'd never see her again.

"No, wait!" he grabbed her hand on impulse. "Please. Stay with me," he begged his voice nearly a whimper. He stroked her hand with his thumb. His heart sped up, his breathing shallow. He was deeply afraid.  
"Look at me, Marinette. Look at my eyes. You have to remember me, who I am..." Adrien looked up into her blue-bell eyes, sorrow and desperation lingering behind his. His voice and eyes pleading with her to remember.

"I... I don't, I'm so sorry," she pulled away from his grasp, gave one last look over her shoulder at the blonde man who looked like he was broken beyond repair, and walked out of sight.

\--------------------

Marinette awoke in her hospital bed, hot tears streaming down her face.  
"Honey?" her mother's voice asked, within a moment she was at her side. "What's wrong? Do I need to go and get someone?"

"N-no, I just had a dream, and-and I..." her sobs started growing more wild, deep and mournful. It scared her mother.  
"Tom, go get the doctor!" she tried to comfort her daughter, hoping he'd get there soon, as she had to be in immense pain.  
But there wasn't medication on the face of the earth that could alleviate the pain she felt right now.  
A doctor and a nurse rushed in, followed by her worried father. The nurse gave her a sedative through her IV, and her sobs slowed down, and soon she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

\--------------------

Meanwhile, Adrien woke up to a dark room, feeling as if a large and heavy weight had settled on his chest. The rain was falling outside, some of it blew against his windows in the wind, making a steady thrumming sound. He rolled over onto his side to check the time, 5:17 AM, the numbers read. He let out a soft moan and laid on his back a few minutes in silence, but he knew sleep would not find him.  


Plagg was curled up on the pillow next to him, fast asleep.  


Adrien got out of bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping Kwami. He threw the quilt his mother had given him as a young boy around his shoulders and walked up towards the windows. He opened the one slightly, allowing the misty breeze to blow in.  
Tikki, unlike Plagg, had been awake. She couldn't sleep without Marinette there, knowing she was lying in some cold hospital room, wondering if she was going to be alright.  


She flitted up to Adrien, he turned his head to look at her.  
Their faces reflected their feelings: worry, fear, sadness, and pain, but neither said a word.  
Adrien looked down at the floor, holding his quilt tighter around himself, pretending as if his mother was giving him a comforting hug. Tikki started to cry. Watching how much Adrien was hurting over Marinette, knowing how much he loved her, and knowing his pain...  


Tikki nuzzled his cheek.  


Adrien sunk to the ground and started to silently sob. Tikki remained at his side, stroking his face with her little hand, a tear escaping from her big blue eyes every now and then, as his sobs continued until the dawn.


	28. Remember Me

He wasn't sure whether to go visit Marinette as Chat Noir or as Adrien that morning, but Plagg and Tikki insisted he go as himself.  
Adrien called up his friends - his team - and told them he thought they should visit her as themselves today.

"Actually, we think you should just go by yourself, dude," Nino said, sounding glum. "Alya and I agreed to go visit her later, and Chloé said she was going to bring Nathaniel to visit."

"Oh... alright, that's fine. How's Alya holding up?"

"Ahh," Nino looked away from his phone, at something that Adrien couldn't see. Probably Alya. "She's - well she's doing the best she can, given the circumstances," he removed his cap and combed through his hair with his hand.

"We'll all get through this," he assured him with a smile, hoping he'd pass the message along to his girlfriend. "I'm going to go visit her before school, so I'll catch you later."

"I know we will... and I'll tell Alya you're going to see her now, it should make her feel a little better," he grinned. He'd totally be elbowing Adrien in the ribs if he was with him. Marinette and Adrien hadn't really had a chance to talk about their feelings for each other, much less sharing it with their best friends, but it was clear to everyone around them how Marinette and Adrien felt about each other.

Adrien rolled his eyes, bidding his best friend goodbye before hanging up.

"Plagg, Tikki, we've got a patient to visit," he told the Kwami's, and Tikki's face lit up. They both wordlessly hid in Adrien's jacket, and shortly after, they were on the road, heading for the hospital.

He just stared out the window, observing every detail of every building and landmark he could spot. Being in Paris, seeing what it had to offer, raised his spirits, given he was away from home for so long and would've done anything to be where he is now. But the city didn't feel the same without her. He couldn't truly appreciate it like it deserved when he felt so lost and empty inside.  
Adrien always tried to put everyone else at ease and made sure they never lost hope. Even if he felt hopeless himself.  
"Please, let her have woken up..." he whispered to himself, so quietly that only Plagg and Tikki could hear.

When he arrived at the hospital, he ran into Tom Dupain.  
"Good morning, Adrien. Here to see Marinette?" he asked with a smile. The air of worry and fear he had the previous night had vanished. Though he looked very tired, he was undoubtedly relieved.

"Hello Mr. Dupain. Yes, how is she?" Adrien asked politely.

Tom gave a sigh. "She regained consciousness, thankfully. The doctors said she was extremely lucky. Some internal bruising, some swelling, and she lost a lot of blood, but they said it's nothing to be too concerned about."

"That's great news!" Adrien's face brightened. Tom chuckled and gestured his head towards her door. "You can go in and see her, but she might be sleeping, though. She uh, she had a bit of an episode last night," he told him, some worry creeping back into his voice.

Adrien blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Marinette woke up in tears, and... it escalated pretty quickly," Tom scratched the back of his head, as he recalled last night's scare. "It was really terrifying. The doctors had to give her a sedative to keep her calm, even."

The boy nodded weakly, "Um, I'm going to go in and see her."

"I'll be sitting out here if you need me," Tom sat in a chair in the small waiting room on the 5th floor and began eating his breakfast.

Once Marinette's door shut behind him, Plagg and Tikki came out of hiding.  
Marinette looked just like she had the last time he saw her, she was peacefully resting. He moved a chair over to her bedside, and sat down, taking her hand in his.  
The movement woke her.

"W-what?" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open.

"Shh, it's okay Marinette. Go back to sleep," he whispered, stroking her hand gently.

"Mmm..." she moaned, her eyelids heavy, but she wanted to stay awake. "W-who... are y-you...?" she breathed.

It was like his heart had been brutally stabbed by the words she uttered.

"Ah - I'm- I'm Adrien, Marinette," he stuttered, trying to keep his voice even, but without success.

"I don't... I don't know anyone named Adrien," her brow furrowed as if she was concentrating on remembering. "I'm sorry."

"T-That's okay, I'm nothing special to remember, anyway," he gave a dark chuckle.

"Don't say that" she said abruptly, still looking as if she was trying to remember. "That's not true."

"But you can't even remember me..." he reminded her, but quickly moved on before she could respond. "Do you remember your parents?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," she answered right away.

"How about Nino, and Chloé?"

"Yes, I remember Chloé, that's for sure... " she scrunched her face up in annoyance. Confusion made its way to Adrien's features, though only for a moment.

"You're friends with Chloé," Adrien stated.

"What? No way, how could I be friends with someone like that?" she scoffed, waving her hand as if to brush it off.

"And what about Alya, your best friend. Do you remember her?"

Marinette was quiet, thoughtful for a moment.

"I can't say I've heard of her before..." she trailed off. Then she spotted the Kwami hovering behind Adrien then.

"W-what are those?!" she pointed, her voiced raised with fear.

Adrien turned around to look at Tikki and Plagg.

"Oh, those are Kwami. Tikki and Plagg. Tikki's your Kwami."

"Hello, M-M-Marinette," stammered Tikki, looking at her Chosen glumly, tears threatening their way out of her massive blue eyes.

"They talk?!" Marinette shrieked.

"Shhhh, yes, they talk. Tikki helps you become Ladybug."

Marinette's eyebrow raised before she burst into laughter."Ladybug? Why would I want to become a ladybug? That's ridiculous."

Adrien nervously chuckled. "No, no. Not _a_ ladybug. But _Ladybug_. That's your superhero name."

"I'm a superhero? Me? Riiight, I think you've got the wrong girl," she denied, laughing it off.

"No, you're Ladybug, Marinette. That's how you got injured. You were saving Paris when part of a building fell and knocked you out," he reminded her.

"Okay, I believe you...but tell me... Adrien...?" her voice went up at his name. "You said Chloé and- and Alya are friends of mine. Are you a friend, too?"

"I am. You're my very best friend, actually. You're even more than that to me," he gave her a sad, but loving smile. Her eyes grew wide, before giving him a small smile in return.  
"You remind me of the man that was in my dream last night," she said, as she recalled. "His name was Adrien. And I..." her eyes teared up. "I think I loved him, but I couldn't remember. But I remember the look on his face..." she subconsciously held her hand up to her heart.

Hey, shh shh, Marinette, it's okay. It was just a dream, just a dream. Don't cry," he soothed, wiping the tears from her cheeks.  
"I'll come back to see you later, okay? I have to go to school. Nino and Chloé will come by to see you later as well, and Alya too. Get some rest before then, alright?"

She nodded, sinking back to lie down.

"Do you want to stay, Tikki?" Adrien asked.

"I think I'll come with you if that's okay," she squeaked. Adrien nodded, and let the Kwami's hide back in his jacket.

Before leaving for school, Adrien spoke with Tom, Sabine, who had just arrived, and the doctors. They were unaware of her memory loss and said they were going to do some tests to find out what was going on that morning. Adrien also texted Nino, letting him know the latest development, which he would no doubt pass along to the others.

His bodyguard dropped him off at the school, but Adrien had no plans to stick around.  
He ran into the boys' bathroom, and when he saw the coast was clear, he let the Kwami's out.

"Adrien..." Tikki said, her tone disapproving.

"I need some time to myself, just for a little while. There's no way I can concentrate on school right now."

Tikki gave him a look that matched her tone.

"I promise I'll come back to school before lunchtime."

She sighed, a resigning sigh.

"Plagg, claws out!"

And he was gone in a moment, escaping onto the school's roof, giving him the perfect view of Marinette's balcony.  
How long he was there, he wasn't sure. He let himself feel everything, not bothering to hide his expressions. The only time he could ever do this was when he was alone.  
But he wasn't alone anymore when he heard a voice.

"I knew I'd find you here."


	29. The Comfort of Friends

Chat Noir barely turned his head to his left, catching a glimpse of orange from the corner of his eye.

"Hi, Rena," he greeted, his voice monotone while continuing to stare at Marinette's balcony.

"Rough day, huh?" she asked, taking a seat next to him.

Chat snorted. "Rough life, more like... Did _Carapace_ tell you...about...?" he emphasized, making sure not to let his tongue slip.

Rena Rouge sighed, pulling her legs to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. "He did... and I'm so sorry Chat..."

Chat turned to face her. "And what about you? You two are the best, best friends I've ever seen. I've always admired your friendship."

"We are best friends... but so are the two of you. You know, I've always admired Ladybug and Chat Noir's partnership and friendship, and when it turned out to be the two of you, I knew that there's never going to be a relationship out there as powerful as yours. You're higher up on the best friend list than I am, and I'm okay with that."

A comfortable silence filled the air before Rena Rouge spoke again.

"I did a lot of thinking last night. About pretty much everything, from how I didn't figure out that all my friends were Paris's superheroes, to you and Ladybug, and the accident and my part in it," she whispered, "I honestly don't know how to feel about it all. But one thing I know for sure is our girl will come back to us. She might not remember us right now, but she'll come back. She's a fighter. I mean she's _Ladybug_ after all," Rena Rouge grinned, her eyes gleaming.

He gave a sad chuckle, continuing to stare off into the distance.

Rena Rouge hoped her words would perk him up just a little, but his mood remained unchanged.

"What's up, Chat?" she asked, her tone sorrowful. "Clearly there's more going on with you."

Chat clenched his fists, his jaw tightened.  
"...Everything's just so messed up. I've been worried about my mother for so long, and now Ladybug, and I..."

Rena leaned her head on Chat Noir's shoulder. "We'll find your mother. We will, okay?" she nudged him with her shoulder. "And Ladybug will recover, and she'll remember who we are. I know things in your life have been really grim, but you're back now. And you have us. Like you told Carapace earlier, we'll get through this."

"I almost didn't make it back to Paris," he mumbled abruptly.

Rena Rouge sat up straight. "What?"

Chat looked around, making sure nothing and no-one was around before he spoke. "I made a deal with my father. I had to pretend I was dating this model, and succeed before he'd agree to let me come back. One wrong move and my sentence overseas would be extended."

"So that's what those tabloid photos were about... Ladybug wouldn't even look at pictures of you in magazines while you were gone. Good thing, too, I don't think she would've handled it well, had she seen them," Rena Rouge crossed her arms, annoyance flickering on her face. "So what happened?"

"I was going through this phase. The more time I spent with Courtney, the more distant I felt, and the harder it was for me to keep up the pretense. She's a really great friend, don't get me wrong," he rushed, "but all I could think was 'I should be with Ladybug right now' or 'why can't she be Ladybug?' Unfortunately, the media noticed my smiles were harder to come by and noticed I seemed more distant, caring less, and started the online speculation of us on the verge of breaking up. I only managed to get through it with her help."

Rena Rouge looked extremely unhappy. "You know, it disgusts me what the media and rich executives and stuff make people do to make more money. Real journalism is about getting important messages out there, sharing the truth. Not sleaze like that," she grumbled.

He laughed freely for the first time that day. "Oh, I agree with you 100%. I may not know what I want to do with my life yet, but I know it has nothing to do with _that_ world."

"Good, because I don't think it really suits you, _handsome boy_ ," she gave a sly grin. "Now, someone inside is seriously worried about you, and I told him I'd come and make sure you're alright. He wanted to come talk to you himself, but I figured the only other person she can't remember would be the best person to understand how you're feeling. How about we visit her together later, maybe we can jog her memory?"

Chat smiled, standing up to stretch, "sounds like a plan," he said before they went back to join their classmates for the remainder of the school day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is a short chapter, I'll be uploading Chapter 30 later today. ^-^


	30. Slowly But Surely

"Sorry for the change of plans," Nino apologized, as they walked down a long, blank hallway of the hospital.

"Ah, it's fine. I get Adrien's point, maybe us visiting Marinette first will help jog her memory," shrugged Chloé.

Nino stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "She does remember you, but Adrien said she only remembers who you were before you changed, so... don't get upset with her if she isn't exactly the most friendly..."

Chloé groaned in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. I know Nino. I'll try my best not to get upset. You're more likely to bug me," she playfully stuck her tongue out at him, before she laughed at his expression of fake shock and hurt.

They knocked on her door and entered when she gave them permission to come in.

"Nino!" Marinette grinned when she saw him walk through the door.

He chuckled, "Hey Marinette! How're you feeling?"

Marinette sat up as much as she could, and winced when she moved wrong. "Ah, really sore, tired...but alright otherwise."

Chloé walked in then, looking a bit awkward.

"Chloé... I'm surprised to see you here," Marinette greeted civilly.

She stood with her arms behind her back, hiding a surprise that would hopefully help Marinette fill in the gaps she was missing.

"We're friends now, Marinette. We always go to the finest cafés in the city and work on your designs together. Just last week, you started working on an outfit for me."

Marinette gave a quizzical look, looking to Nino for reassurance. He nodded his head. "That's true. Though I'm not usually around, Alya sometimes tags along, she'd be more up to confirm that."

"Alya," Marinette said slowly. "Isn't she the girl that that boy who visited me earlier...Adrien?" she struggled to think of his name, "told me about?"

"Yeah, that's right. Alya's my girlfriend, and Adrien's my best bud," he reminded her happily. "And Alya's your best friend, and Adrien's your... well... I'm not quite sure what the two of you are, actually," he peered over at Chloé who only shrugged.

"He's a friend though, right? He told me he's a friend of mine."

Nino laughed, "Of course! Though 'friend' isn't _exactly_ the word I'd use to describe you two. Anyway, I'll show you. Here," he pulled out his phone, letting her get a glimpse of a picture of her and Nino with Alya and Adrien. "This was taken like 3 years ago or so."

Marinette grabbed the phone out of his hand and stared at it. First, she concentrated on herself. Her hair was in short pigtails, just as she remembered like it was only yesterday.

"I found it strange when I woke up and noticed my hair was so long," she giggled, running her hands through her long, wavy hair. "You look a lot different, too, Nino," she looked back and forth between the Nino in the photograph, and the Nino sitting next to her.  
He now wore a dark green long-sleeved tee and an even darker green leather jacket. Though he still wore a cap, he wore it a bit differently and replaced his red one with a dark blue hat with a strange symbol on it, kind of resembling a turtle.  
Nino was also a lot bulkier.

Then she focused on the other girl in the photo. Alya had her left arm wrapped around Nino's waist, and her right rested on Marinette's shoulder.  
Her eyes continued to trail along the picture and rested upon Adrien's face. His eyes were bright and happy. His smile wide and toothy.  
"He looks so happy," Marinette noted aloud. "That's Adrien, the boy from earlier, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's him," Nino watched her eyes. She smiled to herself, looking pleased. "Do you remember him?"

Marinette took her eyes off the screen. "Ah, no. Just from his visit this morning, but..." she grinned wider. "He looks so happy in this picture, and it makes me happy."

Nino smiled at her words. Adrien was going to love hearing that. "I'll send it to your phone then. You have your phone with you, right?"

"Yeah, Maman brought it over for me."

"Good," he fiddled with his phone a moment. "There. All sent. Now when you want, you can look at it, and maybe looking at it will help you remember when it was taken."

"Why isn't Chloé in the photo?" she wondered.

Chloé set her surprise for Marinette on her lap so she could cross her arms. "Ah. Well, that's because we all weren't friends yet."

"Oh," is all she said in response.

"I wanted to show you one more thing, for now," Nino concentrated on his phone, and pulled up the Ladyblog.  
"Adrien, Alya, Chloé, and I all know you're Ladybug. Adrien told us he mentioned it to you, and that you had trouble believing it. Well, I'll show you some proof that you are, in fact, Ladybug."

Nino pulled up a clip of an akuma attack, not the most recent one, but one earlier that week. Marinette absentmindedly touched her long hair as she watched Ladybug's long pigtails blowing in the wind.  
"Who are the others?" Marinette asked.

"The turtle guy there is Carapace. The Fox is Rena Rouge, and the Bee is Queen B. They're your teammates. You, these three," he pointed at the screen, "and well, Chat Noir too," Nino added in, "make up Team Miraculous."

Marinette's head perked up. "Chat Noir?"

"Yeah. He's the guy in the tight leather get-up, with cat ears and a tail, who's constantly flirting with you, while saying obnoxious puns. He's your partner," Chloé filled her in, though she couldn't help but laugh. "The two of you were the only superheroes in Paris up until about two years ago."

"What happened two years ago?"

Chloé bit her lip and nudged Nino in the arm for him to answer her question.

"Ahh, well uh, um. You see..." he blabbered awkwardly. "Chat Noir left the city... and so he and Master Fu, he's the Guardian of the Miraculouses, the one who granted us our Miraculous in the first place, decided it was too dangerous for you to fight alone, and gave them out."

"Oh... Wait, you said 'us'," Marinette narrowed her eyes at Nino in suspicion.

Crap. Nino wasn't supposed to give too much information at once, especially anything new, and he was pretty sure talking about secret identities crossed a line. But then again, since Carapace has existed, Marinette's known his true identity, so really, it's not really new information...

"Yeah! Us, as in you and I. Hahaha, because I'm Carapace, and you're Ladybug..." he rushed out awkwardly. "You knew about my alter-ego before the accident."

Marinette nodded, trying to stifle a yawn.

"We should let you get some rest," Chloé glared at Nino a moment before turning her attention back to Marinette. "But before we do, I wanted to give you this," she handed Marinette the half-circle pink box her diary was kept it. "I originally was going to bring over a piece you've been working on, but then I saw this sitting on your desk, and well, I thought it might help you remember. Your diary is inside," Chloé added when Marinette looked at it with a dumbfounded expression.

"Wow... thanks so much, Chloé!" she smiled genuinely at her. Chloé gave her hand a squeeze before standing up.

Nino followed, and the two visitors prepared to leave. But before they headed out, Nino had something to ask that would be nagging at him if he didn't.

"Did today help jog your memory at all?" he asked her, his tone hopeful.

She nodded slowly. "...I remember talking with Carapace...about something... and I remember talking to Chloé and drawing something in a sketchbook, but that's it?" her voice raised at the end like she was asking a question.

"That's good, Marinette. Don't strain yourself to remember, it'll all come back to you, I'm sure. Alya and Adrien will be stopping by later, but for now get some rest, please."

"Okay," she agreed. "Thank you both for stopping by," she waved at them merrily, her smile just a bit too wide. They waved back, and headed out the door, leaving behind a distraught-looking Marinette.


	31. Afraid

Marinette stumbled around in the fog that surrounded her. She called out for someone, anyone, but she never received a reply.  
She kept walking around aimlessly for what felt like an eternity. And then, out of nowhere, the fog cleared. Behind it, stood four teenage superheroes.

_"Come on, Ladybug, come join us!" Chat Noir called over to her, his eyes bright with excitement._

_"Wh-what? Ladybug?" she mumbled, as she looked down at her hands. Instead of seeing her flesh, as she was expecting, she saw her hands were covered in red, with black spots scattered up her arm.  
She felt her face and noticed a mask covered her eyes._

_"We're waiting for you!" shouted Queen B as she waved._

_Carapace cupped his hands around his mouth. "Yeah, come with us, LB!"_

_"Ladybug! Hurry up, or you're going to be left behind!" Rena Rouge hollered with a grin spread across her face, as the four turned around, and began fading away._

_"Wait, please! Don't go yet!" Ladybug shouted, her arm outstretched for them. She tried to get her legs to carry her, but it was usless. She couldn't reach them._

"No!" she shrieked, as she sprang up from her bed. Marinette moaned, the motion had caused her pain.

"Marinette, we're so sorry we woke you up," said a voice at her bedside.

"Huh? Oh, Adrien," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You didn't wake me up, I had this dream is all," she settled back in her bed.

"What was it about?" a female voice asked. Marinette looked over in the direction she heard it and recognized the girl from the photograph Nino had sent her. Her hair was longer now, too, just like Marinette's. And she no longer wore glasses. But she looked relatively the same otherwise, just older.

"Alya," Marinette smiled. "Nino and Chloé showed me a picture of the four of us when they were here, and told me a bit about you... I kind of remember, but I'm still struggling..."

Alya smiled, but her eyes were still sorrowful. "Take your time, girl. There's no rush. But tell us about this dream of yours."

Marinette blinked. "Oh. Okay. Well, I was Ladybug in my dream. And there was all this fog...then out of nowhere, Carapace, Queen B, Rena Rouge, and Chat Noir were there."

Adrien and Alya exchanged looks. "Go on," he encouraged.

"They were calling me. They wanted me to follow them... but, I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't move fast enough. Or maybe I wasn't moving at all..." her voice shook, and a couple of tears escaped from her eyes. She took a deep breath.  
"I'm afraid... I'm afraid I'm not going to remember either of you or Ladybug. I'm afraid that... that if I can't remember, that I won't be able to be Ladybug anymore, and I'll let Paris down. I'm scared I won't be... _me_ anymore."

"Marinette," Alya said with a stern voice. "It's only been one day. And you're doing great. You already remember things, trivial maybe, but it's a step in the right direction. You'll remember us, don't you worry, girl," she leaned over and gave Marinette a comforting hug.

"Here, why don't you read your diary, Marinette?" Adrien suggested, handing it to her from the bedside table it rested on.

"Okay... should I read it out loud?"

"Only if you're comfortable," he said with an encouraging smile.

Marinette cleared her throat.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> The craziest, most amazing, and magical thing happened to me today! I suppose you could even call it _Miraculous_. I came home for lunch to find this strange box on my desk, only to discover that I was chosen as one of Paris' new superheroes, Ladybug! Though at first, I didn't feel confident enough to be able to handle such an important role, but after seeing my new friend Alya in danger, and hearing the comforting and encouraging words from my new partner, Chat Noir, I think I might actually be able to do this! Too many people are counting on me, and I don't want to let them down.  
>  My Kwami, Tikki, has been super sweet, and encouraging, too. And to think, this morning I was worried about Chloé and whether or not she'd be in my class again this year! Anyway, that's all for now, but I have a feeling I'll be confiding in you a lot from now on, Diary.
> 
> -Marinette  
> 

She stared at the words a moment, concentrating...  
"Tikki... Tikki... _Tikki_!" Marinette squealed. "I remember!"

"Marinette!" exclaimed Tikki, fluttering out of Adrien's jacket.  
"Hey Tikki," Marinette said with a laugh, petting her friend on the head as she was nuzzled.  
"What do you remember, Marinette?" asked the bug Kwami.

"I remember finding that box, and freaking out when you came out of it. I remember several conversations with you, but I can't recall what any of them were about..."

"That's okay, Marinette. I've been so worried about you," Tikki cried, hugging Marinette.

After a few moments that were filled with tears and giggles, Adrien cleared his throat.  
"Want to read another?" he suggested. "It might help." He was hoping she'd remember something about him, even little things, even if it was only Chat Noir she remembered. Just let her remember something about him.

"Okay, let's see," she flipped through a few pages.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> Today was Valentine's Day! As usual, Hawkmoth wouldn't give us a break. Kim, who had been harshly turned down by Chloé, was akumatized and became Dark Cupid. While he was chasing after me, Chat Noir found me. I'm pretty sure he was going to tell me how he feels about me when he protected me from Dark Cupid's arrow. Which in turn, led him to hate me, and join forces with Dark Cupid.  
>  Lucky for me that day, Mrs. Bustier (and Rose) told us about how love concurs hate, which gave me an idea on how to snap Chat out of the spell he was under. What usually breaks the spell in fairy tales? A kiss, of course! Chat doesn't remember it at all, but I'm wondering... would a kiss from anyone have broken the spell, or does that mean I actually love Chat Noir?
> 
> Meanwhile, I was worr- 

Alya burst into fits of laughter, hugging herself around the stomach. "Oh my gosh!" she screeched. "No way!"  
Adrien's face was bright red.

"I honestly don't remember it at all!" insisted Marinette.

"That makes two of us..." Adrien mumbled to himself, as he sunk down in his chair with his arms crossed.

Alya poked him in the arm. "What's the matter, handsome boy? she asked, mocking him.  
He glared at her, before abruptly standing up.

"I think it's about time for us to go. Marinette needs her rest after all, and if we want her to continue remembering, we'll call it a day," Adrien said firmly. "Want to stay here tonight, Tikki?"

The little Kwami nodded. She hadn't moved from Marinette's face since she left Adrien's jacket.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Marinette. Get some rest. If you need anything, don't be afraid to text me, no matter how late. Come on, Alya," Adrien added, grabbing Alya's wrist and pulling her towards the door.  
Alya was bursting at the seams, tears welling up in her eyes from her laughter.

"Goodnight, Marinette!" she managed before Adrien quickly shut the door behind her.


	32. A Glimpse

"What was that for?!" Adrien went off on Alya as they walked out of the hospital.

Alya gave an innocent look, batting her eyes. "I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Alya. What's with this _handsome boy_ remark you keep saying?" he demanded.

She grinned deviously. "I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Inside joke," she smiled to herself. Alya spotted an alleyway up ahead. "We can go there," she pointed, "we have to meet up with Queen B and Carapace."

Adrien groaned. "What's so funny about it anyway? I didn't even know about the kiss until..." his face turned red.

"Until what?" He could practically see her fox ears perk up in response.

"Never mind, it's nothing," he tried to brush it off, his tone had a ring of finality in it. But Alya was the last person to let anything go.

She gave him a dull look. "Spill it, Agreste."

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't think this is something I should be talking about with you..."

Alya marched herself in front of him, forcing Adrien to stop. She was about two inches from his face, and her hazel eyes pierced into his with a look of anger and determination.

"You're not getting out of this. You're going to tell me," she demanded, jabbing a finger at his chest.

Adrien leaned back, and deliberately looked away from her eyes. "...As soon as I came back to Paris, I decided to visit Ladybug... And, uh, that's when she told me she knew who I was. And I uh, well..." his face went an even darker shade of red.

She gasped, and took a step backward. "You didn't!"

Adrien looked away uncomfortably, as Alya guffawed.

"So what I've learned today is... Marinette actually subconsciously loved Chat Noir...!" she shrieked between fits of laughter, "and if what Nino said to me is true, that you actually loved Marinette... But Marinette always loved Adrien, and Adrien always loved Ladybug... you two _dorks_ didn't realize who you two really were?!"

Adrien glared at her, shaking his head in disapproval of her reaction.  
"Like you're one to talk," he scoffed.

Alya stopped her bursts of laughing immediately, reverting back to the anger she held before her laughing fit.  
"Hey! Excuse me, but Carapace's nothing like Nino! He doesn't even look the same in costume."

"Exactly," Adrien replied, his tone indicating she proved his point. "Ladybug's the coolest and most collected person I know. Whereas, Marinette's so bubbly and excitable all the time," he said, his arms crossed.  
" And look at me, I'm a free spirit as Chat Noir. I say what I want, I do what I want. But as myself, I do everything I'm told, and I have to be very careful with what I say. Our other selves are another part of us... but if you really want to go there, Alya, then how did you, as Marinette's best friend, and as Ladybug's most devoted follower, not put it together?" Adrien gave her a wide, sly smile before he walked toward the alleyway.

Alya opened her mouth to speak but shut it instantly. She clenched her teeth in frustration, and then stomped up behind him, giving him a rather hard punch to the back of his shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Adrien shouted, rubbing his arm.

"For arguing with me," she scowled, her eyes shooting daggers into his before punching him again after he had turned his back.

Adrien quickly turned around, his eyes wide with anger. "WHY ARE YOU PUNCHING ME?!"

"That one was for leaving my best friend heartbroken, mangy cat," she hissed.

His eyes filled with guilt and pain, before he composed himself, and turned around again. This time, he felt her kick his left calf.  
Before he had a chance to react, she rushed out, "and that was because hitting you is fun." Alya flitted into the alleyway ahead of him. Before he had a chance to reach the entrance, she was already bounding onto the rooftops.

\----

The next morning, Marinette awoke to her brightly lit room. Sunbeams came in through every window, illuminating the room.

"How are you feeling, Marinette?" asked Tikki softly, looking at her in concern. It was only the two of them in the room.

Marinette adjusted herself, before forgetting that the movement causes her to cry out in pain.

"Alright, given the circumstance..." she propped herself up enough to sit up fairly straight. "I want to read more of my diary."

"Good idea. I can describe to you in more detail what happened that day, too, if you need it," offered Tikki, as she settled next to Marinette to read along.

Marinette pet her little head with her index finger, before reaching for her diary.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> _She read aloud, with many pauses and gasps in between..._
> 
> Today, Mrs. Bustier told us at school that Adrien has left France. He never even got a chance to say goodbye to us...  
>  Part of me feels as if this is all some kind of sick joke or something because seeing Adrien's smile every day had always been something I could count on to greet me when I walked into the room. Now, all that'll be greeting me is a cold, empty seat... How could this actually be true?  
>  But the other part of me - as I come to realize it more and more that he's truly gone - feels like it's fading away, somewhere that I'll never be able to reach. The loss of Chat Noir, and now Adrien, is just too much.  
>  It's silly, isn't it? That only a year ago, neither of these boys were in my life, and now a year later, I don't know how I'm going to live without either of them. I appreciated every moment I had with Adrien, and yet still, I feel as if I didn't appreciate him enough. There are so many things I regret not saying to him. "What ifs" keep coming to mind, some are absolutely terrifying for me to think about.  
>  But with Chat, I feel so sickeningly guilty. He loved me, I know he did. And I love him too, but he doesn't hold my heart. I never even got a chance to tell him how truly sorry I am, that loving him just isn't enough. Maybe, like he said, I'll see him again. Maybe I'll get to tell him how I feel. Maybe...

Marinette had never officially ended this entry, as it was just too painful. This entry was far different than her previous ones. They were filled with hope and positivity.

She skimmed ahead a few pages, reading the content on those. They contained the bare minimum. These entries felt more like they were obligatory than something she was doing out of pure desire. Marinette had no idea losing a person - or two - could have such an effect on someone.

"I need to see him," she murmured sadly, but urgently, to her Kwami.


	33. Visitor

That night, Marinette sat up, wide awake. She had yet to see Chat Noir, but she was told by her parents that he had seen her immediately following her accident.  
From what she read in her diary, and what memories she could manage to remember, she was certain he had feelings for her. But there was no way she could be with him, because of Adrien.

Although she couldn't completely remember Adrien, whenever he walked into the room when he visited her, she felt a comfort that she couldn't really explain. Although she couldn't remember, she felt she knew him better than anyone else.  
Marinette wanted to explain this to Chat Noir, to let him know this before he got in too deep.  
She wished she could get it over with, especially now before all her memories returned, and when it would no doubt be several times more painful than it would be if she told him now.

Her wish came true then when a dark figure entered her room. She knew it was him just by the shadow of cat ears on his head.  
"Chat Noir?" she muttered in surprise.

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry, usually, you stay asleep when I come by."

Marinette was silent a moment. "You... you've visited me since the night I got hurt?"

Chat stood there, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I come by here for awhile, to make sure that you're okay. It's really stupid, and kind of creepy of me, I guess... but I worry when I'm not with you."

Why does he have to make this harder?

"Chat... I need to talk to you," she told him seriously. Chat calmly sat in the chair that was near her bedside. He sat there quietly, waiting for her to speak.  
She bit her upper lip, as she pondered where to start.  
"Do you know who I am?" she began calmly.

"What? Of course, you're Marinette," his brows furrowed in confused frustration.

"No. No, I meant, do you know _who I am_?" she emphasized.

Chat paused a moment. "Oh. That."  
Marinette gently nodded, her eyes fixated on him.

"Yes, I know you're Ladybug, Marinette."

"How long have you known?" she wondered.

"I found out a few days before your accident. But I suspected you were her long before that."

She was quiet for a moment, taking it in. "Do I know who you are under there?" she reached out her hand and brushed the black mask on his face with her fingertips.

"You did, yes."

"When did I find out?"

"Just after I left, so almost two years now," he replied and pulled out a couple of small pieces of paper from his pocket. "You told me you figured it out because of these. I've been keeping them with me when I come see you, just in case you were awake when I stopped by. Here," he handed her the folded sheets of paper.

She didn't bother looking at the words on the page, as she was determined to tell him how she felt.

"Chat," she began, setting the papers next to her. She took a deep breath. "I read through my diary, that my... _friend_ " she made a face at the word since she still wasn't totally bought on referring to Chloé as such, "brought over for me to read, to hopefully help jog my memory. And it's helped, a little." Marinette's eyes darted away from him, and she focused on the vase that was on a table on the opposite side of the room as she continued. "I know how you feel about me, Chat... But I'm sorry, I just can't return those feelings..." her words hurt her as they escaped her mouth.

Chat Noir's expression became playful. "Let me guess, there's someone else, isn't there?"  
Marinette's head turned to look at him in an instant, her eyes wide.  
"How did you know?"  
"Because you've told me before, Princess. Adrien's a really lucky guy."

Marinette gaped at him.  
Chat Noir chuckled. "Read those," he pointed. "Maybe it'll come to you."

In the dim light, she focused her attention on the letters. When reading Chat's, she would glance over at him, her eyes sparkling in the dim light, full of pain at his words. Then, she moved onto Adrien's, and about halfway through, she stopped scanning the letter.

"Wait..." she trailed off. She stared at the paper in silence, and after Chat had counted to 42 in his head, Marinette glanced over at him.  
Her eyes grew wide, and a wide grin spread across her face.  
Chat Noir made an exaggerated face, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Adrien!" she exclaimed, tossing her pillow at him.  
Chat let out his laughter, "What? You're so adorable, I can't help it."  
She stuck her tongue out at him, and then covered her mouth with her hand, as she blushed.

"I still can't remember a lot. I can't remember when I met you, either of you, or when I started liking you, or _why_... It's like there's a lot of pieces missing," her tone apologetic and sad.

Chat took her hand, the hand that was covering her mouth. "I'll help you find them," he assured her. "We'll all help you get back to your old self, don't worry."  
Marinette nodded, and then she yawned.

"You should get some sleep. We need to get you out of here as soon as possible, you know."

Marinette nodded her eyes beginning to shut, before they abruptly sprung open again, her hand grasping Chat's tightly.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" she whispered anxiously.

Chat chuckled once. "I won't until you fall asleep," he promised.

Satisfied with his words, she closed her eyes and drifted off.


	34. First Day Back

Marinette was released from the hospital a few days after Chat's visit.  
She was still feeling sore and stiff, and parts of her memory were still missing, but being out of her hospital room made the journey she was going to have to face seem a little more tolerable.

"Do you want to stay home from school today, Marinette?" her mother asked her the following morning, opening the blinds in the very pink room to let the radiant sunshine in.

Marinette groaned and climbed down from her bed. "No, I should go, I've already missed so much school already."

"Alright dear, if you get too tired or you're in any pain, come straight home," Sabine ordered in her always gentle tone.

Marinette rubbed her eyes, yawning. "Yes, Maman."

Sabine smiled at her daughter, watching her only a second longer than normal, before heading back down to the bakery.

Tikki flew down from Marinette's bed.  
"Morning Marinette! Ready for your first day back at school?" she greeted enthusiastically.

Marinette delicately shrugged her shoulders while letting out a small sigh. "I guess so, I'm a little bit nervous about it though."

"Don't worry, you've got your friends there to help you if you need them."

"Thanks Tikki," she patted the top of the Kwami's head. "But I'm more concerned about Ladybug duties, you know? I haven't had a chance to transform yet, and I really don't remember much about being Ladybug. What if I'm not...? What if I...?" Marinette slumped down in her desk chair and put her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth.

"Marinette," the Kwami breathed sternly. "I know you're worried, but you do remember some things about being Ladybug," she reminded her.  
"When you first transformed, you were very unsure of yourself. But you got the hang of it very quickly. It was quite impressive. This time, you'll have experienced heroes with you. If something happens, they'll be there to help."  
Marinette nodded, picking up her phone from her desk. "I'm going to text Nino and let him know I'm going to school this morning."

After she pushed send, she got dressed and ready for school, before heading down to the kitchen for breakfast. Nino, and Alya - who was already at school with him - were video chatting with Marinette while she ate.

"We should fill you in on a few things before you come back to school, Marinette," Nino told her. The way he said it raised a red flag, making her suspicious.

"What things?" she raised an eyebrow.

Nino uncomfortably played with his cap.

"Well, remember how Chloe always used to be the school bully?"

Marinette simply nodded in response.

"That job has been taken by someone else now. Usually, she leaves you alone, but since Adrien's been back, she heard how he's been spending a lot of time with you, and well..." he trailed off anxiously.

Alya pushed Nino out of view so she could be center of the video, yanking his phone from his hands. He mumbled something angrily in response, though Marinette couldn't make it out. "Lila's planning to confront you at school today, Marinette."

"Oh. Tch, that's not so bad," Marinette waved her hand dismissively, her shoulders relaxing. She hadn't realized they had gotten tense. Then she spotted the time on her phone. "Ah! I've got to leave now if I'm going to get there in time. I'll see you guys in a bit," she waved before hanging up.

"Do you really think Lila's not that big of a deal?" squeaked Tikki.

"I don't know, I don't really remember her. How bad could she be, really?" Marinette picked up her bag from the couch and headed downstairs. She walked through the partially busy bakery, waving her parents goodbye when something outside the window caught her attention.

Marinette opened the bakery door, causing the bell above to jingle. Adrien turned at the sound, his face breaking into a toothy grin when he saw who stood beside him.

"Adrien?" she asked in surprise.

"Morning Marinette!" he waved. "Nino told me you'd be going to school today. Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"Of course not! I don't mind at all, I mean, who would, it's you after all. I-" a blushing and babbling Marinette abruptly cut herself off. Then she started giggling.

"What's so funny?" he so badly wanted to know the reason behind the music that was her laughter.

Marinette shook her head a second, her hand moving to her chest where a necklace lay. She fiddled around with it, nervously, as she answered. "Me. I just remembered making a fool of myself like this in front of you a lot."

Adrien blinked in confusion. "What? I don't remember you making a fool of yourself in front of me."

She snorted, giving him a rather dull look. "Babbling like an idiot. Me being extremely nervous around you, when I wasn't a nervous wreck around anyone else?"

"Oh, that," he drawled. "I always thought it was because you didn't like me very much," he walked alongside her with his hands in his pockets, and his head down. The little of his expression she could see told her that he truly believed that was the case.

"Seriously Adrien? I liked you so much that I couldn't even form coherent sentences around you. I was absolutely terrified I'd say something stupid, and look like a complete dorkasaurus around you. Because why would you like someone like that?" she stuck her tongue out, and glared to her side, opposite of Adrien.

She felt Adrien take her hand. The surprise touch made her instinctively glance over at him.

"Hmm, yeah, I wonder why I would ever like someone like that," he teased. "It's not like she's beautiful, smart, extremely talented, confident with herself, kind to everyone, not afraid to stand up for herself or for others - " Adrien listed, counting each trait off with his free hand.

"Oh yeah, about that last one..." Marinette interrupted with a sigh and began to explain to him what Nino and Alya warned her about.

"Don't worry about her, Princess. We can handle it," he squeezed her hand gently to reassure her, and a smile spread across her face as she looked down at the ground. Her cheeks were burning, she was sure they were rosy, but she didn't really mind.

After a few moments of only hearing their footsteps along the concrete, she let the thought that was bouncing around in her head escape her lips. "I wish I could remember everything."

"You will," he assured her again, his wide grin that touched his eyes still very present on his face. "You don't have to remember it all yet. Just you remembering me at all is enough for now."

She smiled, her breath that she hadn't known she was holding was released, and it felt as if a small weight that was burrowed in her chest left along with it.

They arrived at school after a short walk, the first thing to greet them for the new school day was Alya, Nino, Chloe, and Nathaniel on one side in a group, and Lila, Sabrina, and a group of a few girls, and a couple of boys from another class on the other.

"What's going on?" Adrien asked, tightening his grip on Marinette's hand.

"Adrien!" Lila greeted sweetly, a smug smile on her face. That is until she saw his hand holding Marinette's. Her expression changed so fast, a blink and anyone present would've missed it.

"Oh look, you got him to feel sorry for you Marinette by getting hurt. Since that's the only way someone like Adrien would ever be interested in someone like you," she scoffed, standing taller, and looking at her posse for approval. The kids snickered.  
Adrien glared at her, but before he could say anything, someone else stepped up and spoke for him.

"What are you, delusional?" Chloe sniggered. "And you think he'd be interested in you? _Please_ ," she said as if the word was two syllables instead of one. "Any guy with half a brain would know to keep away from you. The girl who made up the biggest, most outlandish lies just to get others to like her, because she knew they wouldn't like her for who she really is. That's pathetic," she spat.

Lila clenched her fists in response, but said nothing.

"The only reason you ever liked Adrien in the first place was that he was the most popular guy at school. Paris' famous teen model. You knew he liked Ladybug, so you made up the lie that you were super close with her," something dawned on Chloe then when she said those words, coming to a realization she never thought of before.

"Actually Lila, you knew just what to say to impress everybody here," she held her arms out, scanning around the front of the school with her eyes. Several kids had come closer to witness what was going on. "Now how is that? Did you get some of your dad's people to investigate us?" The Italian girl remained silent, her small frame shaking. "That's what I thought. How creepy," Chloe rolled her eyes and turned to walk away, but there was still one last thing she needed to get out before they parted.

"Keep away from Marinette and Adrien, and stay away from the rest of us. Got it?" she glowered. "Good."

Chloe walked swiftly up the stairs into the school building, her friends followed, leaving behind a trembling and enraged Lila Rossi.


	35. Lila's Revenge Part 1

Lila stormed off away from her group of followers, mumbling under her breath.  
First, it was Ladybug that got in her way, and now it was Marinette and Chloe. She wasn't going to stand for it. These two were going to regret ever standing in her way of getting what she wanted, and in this case, it was Adrien _and_ revenge.  
Lila knew what was going to come. She awaited the little dark butterfly's arrival that would grant her the power to get her revenge. And she didn't have to wait very long at all....

"We meet again, Volpina," came an ominous voice. "I'm giving you a second chance at payback against all those who have stood in your way. Don't blow it," he warned her coldly.

"Don't worry, Hawkmoth. I won't," she assured smugly, a wicked grin stretched across her face as she transformed into Volpina again.

In her search to find Chloe and Marinette, she came across her posse.  
A few of their faces registered fear when they spotted her, others simply looked confused.  
Without a word and just a twitch of the corner of her mouth, she motioned her hand out in front of her, in an almost waving motion.

"You are all going to help me seek my revenge," she mumbled softly. "Don't fail me."

"Yes, Volpina," the kids said in unison, their reply emotionless. The magic she used on them leaving them under her control.

They morphed into identical copies of Volpina, and followed the original up the stairs to head to Marinette and Chloe's classroom.

"I'm back," Volpina said cutely as she burst in through the door. Her minions filed in after her.  
She started cackling madly, and the students within the classroom started screaming, running out the back door.

Marinette began to panic, she was completely unsure of what to do. Before she could glance at Adrien or Nino to help her, she felt someone begin to pull her away.

She looked to her side to see Alya yanking her out of the room behind Chloe.  
They led her to one of the girl's bathrooms, that was thankfully empty. After they made sure the door couldn't be opened from the outside, the two girls turned to face their freaked-out friend.

"Marinette, we have to show you something," Alya glanced over at Chloe nervously.  
"We don't have time to wait, so just brace yourself, okay?" added Chloe.

The two superheroines said the magic words to bring on their transformations, and became Rena Rouge and Queen B right before Marinette's eyes.

She gaped at the two, standing there suited up in their superhero costumes.  
"Wh-what?" was all she could get out, her eyes wide as she stumbled backward. While in the hospital, she had watched several videos of the superhero team, Team Miraculous, and watched interviews with every member, including herself to help her regain her memory.  
Never would she have guessed that these two would be the ones behind the masks.

"I know it's a lot to take in, and we're _really_ sorry we had to reveal ourselves to you this way when you're still so confused, but we didn't want to leave you alone. And there wasn't time to go find somewhere else for us to transform after you had, so..." Rena Rouge trailed off.  
"We'll explain everything to you later, Marinette, but right now we have to go. Chat Noir and Carapace are waiting for us," Queen B urged.

Marinette nodded and took a deep breath.  
"Okay, here goes... TIKKI, SPOTS ON!" she exclaimed, and in moments, she was completely mesmerized. Once her transformation was completed, she glanced in the mirror at herself, finally seeing the validation that she was in fact Ladybug. Then she heard squeals coming from behind her, and quickly turned around.

"I've always wanted to see that!" Queen B fighting to contain herself, jumping up and down on the spot.  
"I know, me too! This is the coolest thing ever!" Rena Rouge squealed along with her.  
Ladybug cleared her throat. This was certainly not the time for fangirling.  
The girls immediately fell silent.  
"Yeah, now is _not_ the time," Queen B agreed with the look Ladybug was giving them.  
"Nope, nuh-uh," Rena Rouge smiled sheepishly.

The three girls rushed out of the bathroom, running up the stairs to meet the boys.

"Everything okay?" Carapace asked.

"Fine, sorry we took awhile. They were fangirling over my transformation..." she gave Rena Rouge and Queen B another look.

Chat Noir's eyebrows furrowed. "What? They got to see?! Lucky," he sulked, crossing his arms.

"Not the time, Chat," Ladybug warned.

Chat grinned. "Look at you, you're sounding more like yourself already, m'lady!"

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Volpina shrieked suddenly at the top of her lungs, causing the five heroes to jump. "FIND THEM!"

Suddenly there were Volpina's everywhere, surrounding them.

"They're illusions!" Chat warned. "Touch them and they disappear, and the real one will remain."  
The superheroes began to fight the army of Volpina's, and the unsettling thing was they physically fought back.

"They're ALL real!" Ladybug shouted worryingly.

Chat's eyes darted around, looking at every Volpina in the commons. "But they can't all be Lila!"

"That's because they're not," Carapace said suddenly, his tone serious. "You know how Volpina's power was always illusion? This time she has an extra power, she's er, convinced her posse to be part of her little army by giving some of her power to them, and she's only giving them the appearance of herself to trick us."

"So which one is the real one?" Queen B asked aloud what the others were wondering.  
Rena Rouge just shuddered. They all looked so similar to herself, minus the face of course. Then she realized something.

"Guys, I don't think the real one is here. She's searching the school for Chloe and Marinette, remember? She sent these Volpina's here to distract us," Rena reminded the group.  
"So what do you think we should do?" Queen B again asked the question everyone was thinking.

Ladybug thought a moment, and then it hit her like a lightning strike.  
She might not be completely recovered, but becoming Ladybug again and putting herself into a situation where she needed to think on her feet, felt natural and familiar. It was helping her jog her memory.

"I know exactly what we're going to do. You might not like it, but you guys are going to have to trust me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter that I already had written up, so Chapter 36 will be worked on and up soon!  
> If you'd like to find some new fanfics to read while you wait, I have a few others: A Walk in the Rain (a two-chapter Marichat Fic), Betrayal (an angst fic that's a WIP), and All Mixed Up (which is very fluffy that's a WIP).
> 
> I've also come up with a new fic idea I'm pretty excited about that has to do with Marinette and Adrien meeting Bridgette and Felix, but probably not in the way you think. ;)


	36. Lila's Revenge Part 2

"Please. There has to be another way besides that," Chat shook his head, very distressed over his Lady's suggestion. 

"I'll be fine. It's not like I'll be alone, I'll have Chloe and 3 superheroes to back me up," Ladybug winked at Chat, as he, Rena Rouge, and Carapace gave her unsure and nervous looks.

Queen B leaned on Ladybug's shoulder. "And do you guys think I'd actually let anything happen to her? Her injuries would've been a lot worse if it wasn't for me, you know," she stuck her chin up in the air as if she was offended, but had a slight smile on her face to show she was mainly teasing.

"I never thought I'd say these words, but I do trust you, Chloe," Rena Rouge admitted, her hand resting on her hip. "Take care of my best friend for me!" she added, calling after them.

"I will!" shouted Queen B over her shoulder, as she and Ladybug ran for a safe place to detransform.

"I've got a cookie waiting for Tikki if she needs it. Adrien told me she loves them," huffed Queen as they ran down the hall.

"Thanks," she smiled in response, glancing in her direction a moment as they continued to run.

Once the two superheroines found a secluded spot, they called to their Kwami's to detransform them, both bug Kwami's landing in their Chosen's hands.

Marinette took the cookie Chloe offered her, set it in her little pink bag, and Tikki followed. Pollen did the same, hiding in Chloe's little white handbag, where honey was surely inside waiting for her.

Feeling exposed and tense without their superpowers to defend them, the girls emerged from their hiding spot, and walked around, their voices loud and forced.

"Gee Chloe, I heard someone was looking for us," said Marinette very awkwardly.

"You're right Marinette, I heard about that, too. Isn't it that Volpina girl? The rip-off of the Fox Miraculous? Leave it to Lila not to be original even when akumatized," she mocked, the last sentence a whisper. 

Volpina overheard their conversation, Marinette's idea of using them as bait worked.  
However, Chloe's words enraged her so much that she didn't even give them a verbal warning before she dropped down from the roof.  
Chloe's words were like a stab to her torn-up heart, but Marinette was responsible for taking Adrien away from her. If only Ladybug was here, then she could wrap up her revenge with all three at once. She could settle, payback against two out of three wasn't so bad.

Volpina never even had a chance to lay a hand on Marinette, or Chloe for that matter, as Chat Noir swooped down so quickly that Marinette jumped slightly in surprise at the sight of him suddenly standing in front of her, using his body as a shield to protect her. His arm stretched out to protect Chloe. 

The look in Chat Noir's eyes was fierce and unforgiving.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned, reaching behind his back, preparing to wield his baton.

"You think you can stop me alone, Chat Noir? Ha!" scoffed Volpina.

"Who said anything about me being alone, Volpina?" a devious grin spread across his face as Rena Rouge and Carapace gently landed on either side of Chat Noir.

Volpina glared furiously at the three blocking her way. Her fury was apparent on every feature of her face, making her appear nearly insane.  
These obnoxious heroes were protecting those she loathed with every fiber of her being. It was going to be impossible for her to get to them now, as she couldn't figure out any openings. She needed to get away and circle back for them when there was an opening.

With what seemed to be the flick of a switch, a wicked smile spread across her face, and Volpina suddenly vanished, leaving her minions to fight the superheroes as a distraction, allowing her to get away.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir should go look for her. Rena Rouge, Queen B, and I can handle things here," Carapace whispered to Chat urgently as multiple Volpina's started closing in on them.

Marinette had slipped away behind the corner without Volpina or her minions noticing. 

She called Tikki back into her Miraculous again, this time not giving her transformation a second thought. As Chat Noir nodded in agreement to Carapace's suggestion of them splitting up, Ladybug appeared by his side, and the two set off in search for Volpina.

"Where do you think she went off to this time?" Ladybug asked as they flung onto the school's rooftop.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the Eiffel Tower. That's where our last encounter with Volpina was, anyway," Chat glanced at her through the corner of his eye as they went, wondering if she'd remember that day at all.

Ladybug didn't say a word for few moments. "Ohhh," she suddenly recalled. "She had Adrien hanging off of the Eiffel Tower, threatening to drop him if we didn't hand over our Miraculous."

Chat Noir chuckled. "I knew right away of course that he was just an illusion, but you didn't want to take that chance. You were so willing to hand your earrings over for me..."

He noticed a rooftop's distance away from her that he was no longer hearing the thudding of her feet, or the quickness of her breath. Chat backtracked until he was standing by her side.

"Of course, I would do anything for you," she mumbled, feeling a bit awkward.

Chat's eyes went wide; a warm, fuzzy feeling swelled inside of him, like an inflating balloon.

She brushed her hand across his cheek for a moment without meeting his eyes, and in what felt like only a moment to Chat, Ladybug was already far ahead of him, approaching the Eiffel Tower.

"W-Wait!" he called after her, scrambling to catch up.

When he arrived, she was perched on part of the structure near the top, overlooking the city.

"You okay, Kitty?"

He plopped down beside her. "Feline fine, m'lady," he breathed.

She gave a slight nod, her eyes never straying from the city below.

"What a shame you didn't stay to protect your friends," came a sickeningly sweet voice from behind, causing them to jump. "Won't be long now."

Chat Noir and Ladybug didn't miss a beat. She threw her yo-yo at Volpina. It wove around her, its string wrapping around her numerous times, assuring them that she was the real deal.

"Oh no, you got me. What will I ever do?" she cackled madly. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "You're a half-baked supervillain, even down to the laugh," she smirked. "You can't phase out of the grip of my yo-yo, you can't escape it."

Volpina's expression never wavered. "I wasn't planning on it. My minions are taking care of what I want as we speak. Those hero friends of yours just don't have what it takes to defeat them. Soon Marinette and Chloe will be brought to me by my army, and not only will I get my revenge on them, but I'll get your Miraculous for Hawkmoth with their help, too."

"There's just one thing wrong with your plan, Volpina," began Chat.

"And what's that?"

"Your minions will never find them," the look of certainty in Ladybug's eyes was enough to wipe the smug look clear off of Volpina's face.

Chat backed her up against the tower.  
"Trapped again," he muttered, snatching the fox-tail necklace she still wore around her neck, tossing it over his shoulder to Ladybug.

She broke it effortlessly, releasing the dark butterfly that had been trapped inside.  
Ladybug got her yo-yo ready to purify it, and once it was released, she whispered, "Bye-bye little butterfly," and gave a little wave.

Again, Lila refused help on getting down, but Chat begrudgingly helped her down onto the balcony of the tower where it was safe for non-superheroes to descend the tower on their own.

When Chat returned, he approached Ladybug, holding out his fist for their celebratory fist bump.

"Pound it!" The two said in unison. More than triumph shone in their eyes as blue met green, and for the first time, they had defeated an akuma while knowing exactly who fought right by their side.

Chat held out his hand for her, and with a smile, Ladybug took his hand in hers.  
Without a word, they headed back to their school, hand in hand, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for not updating in awhile, but I think I'm going to be working on finishing this story up in the next couple of weeks. c:


	37. Purification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of stuff happens. x3

"I know it's been a long day you guys, and I hate to bring this up, but I don't think we should hold it off anymore," Nino stuffed his hands in his pockets nervously as he and the rest of Team Miraculous left school. "I'm afraid my mom's going to take notice of my collection of glowing green orbs in my room... or worse, that they stop working and the akumas will get out." 

Alya wrapped her arm around Nino's. "It's okay babe, we'll take care of them."  
She turned to Marinette. Adrien was walking beside her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Alya grinned to herself at the sight. She just couldn't get over how long it had taken for this day to finally get here! If she was being honest with herself, she was afraid that it never would.

"Would you be feeling up to some purifying, Marinette?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, the akuma's you guys captured while I was... Yeah, that's no problem at all," she had trailed off when she saw Adrien's angelic face fall as he remembered the horror of that night. "Off to Nino's then?"

"It's probably best," he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He seemed to have picked up the habit from Adrien.

"Did you clean your room?" Alya asked suddenly.

"Uhh..."

"Answer: he did not," Chloe said as she entered his room. She rolled her eyes and made a noise to express her disgust. She didn't dare step any further into the room, so she stood in front of the door.

"Dude, why does your room look like a tornado ripped through it?" Adrien walked towards Nino's bed on tip-toes, as if most of his room was made of lava, and the sparse carpeted spots were untouched.

"Because the mess is hiding the orbs."

Alya snorted. "So what's your excuse when you don't have a bunch of magical orbs to hide?"

Nino shot her an annoyed look. 

"Okay guys, no fighting," Marinette refereed, shoveling her feet through the mess of clothing, gadgets, and who knows what else on the floor. Marinette was trying not to think about what could be lying beneath her feet.  
"I'm going to transform now, so get the orbs ready for me, Nino."

He nodded but stared at Adrien intently. There was no way he was going to miss a second of his reaction to her transformation. Nino was the only one of the four that had the pleasure of seeing it before today.

"Ready Tikki?" 

Tikki stuck her head out of Marinette's bag. "Ready!"

"Tikki, spots on!"

The four teens in the room watched as Marinette became Ladybug. Alya and Chloe gave each other a high-five and squealed about as much as they had that afternoon. This time, they had the time to admire and fangirl overseeing their hero transform.  
Nino chuckled at Adrien's reaction.

He sat perfectly still, slack-jawed and wide-eyed as he watched.  
When Ladybug turned and look at him, his eyes grew even wider, and he subconsciously (and noticeably) sat up straighter than he was sitting already.  
Three different snorts and laughs rang through the air, and he awkwardly turned away from Ladybug, his face flushed.

He realized she must've shot them dirty looks when they all abruptly stopped. 

"The orb, Nino," she said impatiently as she motioned for him to get a move-on.

"Oh. Right."

He scrambled to the window by his bed, threw it open, and removed one of the orbs that was lying underneath a pile of his clothing.  
Nino called out Wayzz to transform him and deactivated the orb shield from each item. Ladybug purified the butterflies that escaped each object and waved the butterflies goodbye as they flew away.

"Is that all of them?" Ladybug asked, fastening her yo-yo to her side when Carapace no longer held an orb in his hands.

"I believe so," he shrugged while sitting down on his bed next to Adrien.

"Did you purify Lone Star's akuma?" Nino's best bud asked.

Carapace blinked. "Uhhh..." he got up, and began digging through the many piles of clothing sprawled around his floor, and found the last remaining orb after a few minutes of searching. He chuckled nervously and released the akuma from the item that was holding it prisoner.

Ladybug purified the last of the butterflies and sat down on one of the only spots in the room where the flooring was visible.  
"So, anything else that needs to be done, or discussed?" she looked around the room, glancing at each face.

Adrien pulled out the Peacock Miraculous. Ladybug raised her eyebrows when it occurred to her what it was.  
"A Miraculous?"

He nodded. "It was in my father's safe, along with some other things, including a book that contained information on Miraculouses. Sadly, I lost it..." he hung his head in shame.

"Ahh, you didn't lose it. I - I took it," Ladybug confessed, her face turning red.

Alya and Carapace gave her curious looks. 

Suddenly the room flashed and Tikki and Marinette were both there, with guilty expressions.

"It's not Marinette's fault," Tikki defended. "It was mine. We saw you had the book, so I had asked Marinette to get it for me."

She floated up to Adrien, and he held out his hands for her to rest in his palms. 

"Master Fu had been searching for that book for so long, that it was imperative it goes back to its proper owner. He had been working on deciphering the codes within when it was stolen from his possession, along with the Moth Miraculous.

When we saw Lila steal the book from you, we followed her until she met up with you in the park. She had thrown the book in the trash, and that's when we got our hands on it. We're sorry if it caused you any trouble with your father, but please understand that it was never meant for him to have it." 

Adrien looked over to see Marinette standing uncomfortably, trying to keep as much of her face out of his line of sight as possible.

"I had no idea you had such a jealous streak in you, Princess," he teased, and the smile she could hear in his tone eased some of her anxiety, enough that she managed to glance at him.

"I'm not mad about the book, I just thought I lost something priceless. It concerned me as it's a book about Kwami's and their powers and that it might've gotten into the wrong hands. My father never mentioned it to me, so I didn't get into any trouble."

"That's a relief," Tikki wiped her forehead with a sigh. "Now what's this about the Peacock Miraculous?"

Chloe made a face as she attempted to step around Nino's mess. "I want to give it to Nathaniel, and I wanted to know what everyone thought before I ask Master Fu about it."

Marinette, Alya, and Carapace (who had yet to detransform) all expressed various levels of shock. However, Adrien already knew all about it.

Chloe went to him one day, shortly after their mass reveal, and suggested that Nathaniel was given the Miraculous.  
She had given him some rather solid reasons why Nathaniel would be a good fit, enough that he was convinced that the redhead would be the best suited for the job. However, he told her it would have to be a group discussion after Ladybug was back in action, and ultimately it needed Master Fu's approval.

"I can see why Nathaniel would make a good hero," Carapace said. "He's kind to everyone and caring too. Although he's a bit quiet, I think him being our 6th teammate wouldn't only benefit us."

"I agree," Alya added. "I saw him go out of his way to help some kids in the class next to us the other day... Oh, and by the way Nino, you're still Carapace."

"Wha? Oh, right..." 

"He's pretty quick on his feet, and we know he'd get along well with us," said Marinette amidst a green glow.

"And I agree with it all," Adrien felt he needed to make his vote known to the others. Chloe already knew his opinion.

Chloe took Marinette's hand. "So will you go with me to Master Fu's to ask him?"

"I don't see why not," she eyed Adrien, who gave one slight nod. 

"I'll go too." 

"And I'll stay and help Mr. Pigsty here clean up this _filthy_ room," Alya picked up a dirty sock and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

Nino grumbled. "We'll see you guys later."

The three heading for Master Fu's said their goodbyes and stepped out into the fresh air.

"It's going to take Alya and Nino DAYS to clean that hideous room," Chloe pinched her nose, and waved her hand back and forth in front of it.

A few minutes later, they arrived at Master Fu's shop. Acting as inconspicuous as possible, they entered.

"Ohh, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Queen B, too! What do I owe the pleasure?" the elderly Chinese man greeted.

Chloe stood nervously, as she had never really met him before. But when she looked behind her, back at Marinette and Adrien, they waved encouragingly for her to ask.

"Um, Master Fu? I'm Chloe Bourgeois. Sorry I haven't gotten around to meeting you yet - "

"Do not worry, Miss Bourgeois. I am but an old man after all," he interrupted. "Now, tell me what has brought you here, and I am sure it is not to meet me."

"Adrien found the Peacock Miraculous, and I was wondering if - if..."

Master Fu raised his eyebrows at Adrien, and the teen knew immediately that he was saying "we'll talk about this later". 

"You have someone in mind for the Peacock Miraculous?"

Chloe nodded. "His name is Nathaniel Kurtzberg."

"Ahh," Master Fu stroked his beard. "The redheaded boy. He is a good kid from what I've seen. The fact that he is friends with all of Team Miraculous, and has them willing to vouch for him, speaks volumes. He certainly deserves a chance, don't you think?" his eyes glowed as he gave a quick wink.

Chloe's face lit up. Master Fu chuckled as she hugged Adrien and Marinette in her excitement.

"Master Fu, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Miss Bourgeois."

"Why did you choose me?" her expression grew serious, and had a touch of melancholy to it.

"I chose you the day you became Antibug," he began, this new information confusing her. She waited to hear more before saying anything. 

"I used to go to the bar in your family's hotel, and I saw how you would run around the lobby as Ladybug. I knew how much you admired her, and I even overheard you say you wished you could be like her to your friend. Your father has always been too busy to spend time with you, and you lost your mother. You were lonely and very, very bitter. But despite it all, after Ladybug defeated you as Antibug, you had forgiven her for not listening to your advice, and you had forgiven your friend as well. Even though you were not a perfect match, I knew that if you were given a Miraculous, you would be given what you needed to grow and to change and that you would learn to be the kind of hero that both Ladybug and Paris need. And that is exactly who you have become, Queen B."

Chloe's eyes sparkled as tears began stinging her eyes. She smiled, and told the old master a quiet thank you, but said nothing more. No words she could say would ever show how much that chance meant to her.

After their visit with Master Fu, Chloe headed home, leaving Adrien and Marinette to walk to her house alone.

"What a long day," he yawned and stretched once they were standing in front of her door. "Promise me you'll go to bed early?"

She grinned. "I promise."

"I'd come in for awhile, but there are some things I have to take care of. I'll see you later," he kissed her forehead, and with a wave, headed for his home that was but a block away.


	38. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's hiding something...

At 8:30 PM that night, Marinette was upstairs in her room, working on one of her many design projects. Most people would think this would be overwhelming and stressful, especially after the day she had had, but designing was a sort of therapy. It relaxed her, helping her unwind after a long day.

Just as she sewed her last thread, and breathed a satisfied sigh, she heard a knock on her front window.  
When she glanced through the glass, large cat eyes glowed back at her.

"Come in, Chat," invited Marinette with a giggle as she pushed it open.

"Why are you still up?" Chat scolded her the moment he stepped foot into her room. "You should be sleeping."

"I could be awake for another two hours, and it would still be considered early to me. Sewing relaxes me anyways, I don't think of it as work," she reassured him, sitting back down at her desk to give the garment another look-over, just in case she missed something.

He sat down on her chaise, resting his elbow on his leg and leaned his head on his fist.  
"That's quite the opposite of my father. He's always so wound up about his designs, and barking orders at people. I don't even think he enjoys what he does."

Chat stared down at his lap, his free hand messing with the bell around his neck.  
"I wasn't just saying it when I told you I hoped you wouldn't give up being a designer. Have you sent in any applications for schools?"

Marinette slowly pushed her chair away from her desk and spun it so she could face him. However, she didn't meet his eyes.

"I have actually," she said with a small smile, but the happiness didn't take over her features like it should. Chat wanted to ask why she wasn't ecstatic, but her phone blew up with her ringtone just as he had opened his mouth.

Startled, Marinette reached for her phone.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice slightly shaky. She was normally kind of jumpy, but tonight was especially bad.

"Girl, you're never going to believe this!" cried Alya on the other end. "Lila's leaving Paris!"

"Lila's leaving Paris?" she repeated for Chat's benefit. He tilted his head curiously.

"Yeah! Apparently, her dad is super embarrassed that his daughter keeps getting akumatized because of her conflicts with the kids at school. AKA, you and Chloe. So he's sent her back to Italy to live with extended family. Can you believe that?!"

"Wow, that's pretty serious. How did you find that out?" Chat's eyes were on her, and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Through the grapevine. Chloe called me about it just now, and she said she heard it from some girls that were at her family's hotel for some party. Either way, no more Lila! You won't have to worry about her taking the love of your life away," she could actually hear the wink as she said that last sentence.

Marinette chuckled uncomfortably.

"You should tell Adrien about it, I'm sure he'd like to know," Alya suggested happily.

"H-He already knows..."

The line went silent for a moment.

"...He's there with you right now, isn't he?"

"Mmm," she hummed, trying so very hard to sound casual. And not to blush.

"He sneaked into your room as Chat, didn't he?" her voice was low.

"Uh-huh."

Another moment of silence was broken by Alya's giddy cackling.  
"I'll let you get back to the alley cat then, girl," Marinette did not like how suggestive her tone was _at all_.

"Alya!" she screeched, absolutely startled, and unsurprisingly, her face felt as red as Nathaniel's hair.

"I'm just teasing! Seriously though, don't stutter. You've come such a long way, and I'm so proud of you for it. I don't want you to set yourself back."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Thanks," she drawled out.

When she hung up, Chat had several questions for her. The ones regarding Lila she answered. She even tip-toed around his question about Alya. But when he brought up her designs...

"You know what? I'm - I'm suddenly feeling really tired," she stretched, getting out of her seat, and moved towards Chat. "You were right in saying I should turn in early, I think I will," she followed him to her window and gave him an exaggerated yawn for good measure.

Chat blinked at the sudden urgency. "O-Okay, you're right. I should've left by now to let you rest. We can talk later. G'night, m'lady," he kissed her forehead, and hoping to be met with a lovely blue, he was disappointed when he noticed she was looking away from him, down at the ground. Why was she avoiding looking at him tonight? He so badly wanted to know, but he knew better than to ask now, so he left with a wave instead.

When the window latched shut, Tikki emerged from the other side of the room.  
"Marinette," she scolded disapprovingly.

"I know."

"You're going to have to tell him sooner or later," she reminded her.

"I know," Marinette repeated. "I just prefer _later_."

Tikki grumbled. "I don't think that's best -"

Marinette's eyes flashed. Her brows pinched together, creating a huge crease between her eyes. "I know it's not the best thing to do, Tikki! It's just I'm not-! ... I'm not ready to tell him yet," she sunk down onto her chaise, resting her head in her hands.

"If it's what's best for you,"was the red Kwami's parting words before retreating back to her private space in Marinette's room.

Sometimes she hated it when Tikki was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this being a shorter chapter. Next chapter is about Nathaniel! I originally planned this chapt. to be split between Chat/Marinette and Chloe/Nath but I decided he deserved his own for once. c:  
> Also wrote this while super tired and stuff so hopefully I still like this come morning! xD


	39. Empathy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more backstory on Chloe and Nathaniel.

"How are you going to give it to him?" Pollen asked, watching Chloe stare at the little black box with red markings.

"I'm not sure," she replied, not taking her eyes off the box. "Everyone said it's up to me on if I want him to know about us or not. It would be unfair for all of us to know each other and to know who he is while he's kept in the dark, but I also think that it's the best way. At least for now."

The bee Kwami buzzed around Chloe's head in a circle, then landed on her shoulder.  
"Is that your final decision?"

Chloe looked at the box for a second before giving a nod in response.  
She opened the box and unlocked the Miraculous that glowed a pretty blue as the beautiful blue Kwami immersed.

"Dusuu, Master Fu, the team, and I have all decided it would be a good idea for you to go with a friend of ours. His name is Nathaniel. We're going to need all the help we can get to find Adrien's mother, and we think he'd be the best one for the job. Are you alright with that?"

The Peacock Kwami's eyes began to tear up.  
"I understand. I want to find her, too. If it's the only way to see her again, then I'm alright with it."

"Let's go out on a delivery then," Pollen said eagerly, buzzing around the room in a frenzy. There was nothing she loved more than helping Chloe transform to get out of the boring hotel. It was so drab to her.

"Pollen, buzz on!" Chloe exclaimed, making sure the Miraculous with Dusuu inside was securely in her grasp before running out onto her balcony fully suited up. She glided above the streets, taking in the view. She would never get sick of this view, and the freedom and exhilaration being a hero brought her. it was something that money could never buy. 

Queen B reached Nathaniel's home after only a couple of minutes, making sure that there was not a soul watching her before sneaking in through his bedroom window.  
He wasn't inside, but she could hear the low hum of his voice in another part of the house. 

_Where to put it,_ she wondered.

 _I could put it on the desk.... but what if he doesn't notice it and it gets knocked over?_ His workspace wasn't exactly as tidy as the rest of his room.

 _His nightstand, maybe?_ But that was no good because it could roll under the bed if it somehow ended up on the floor....

Just then, she heard Nathaniel's voice becoming more and more audible... _closer_.

With a quick intake of breath that sounded like a quiet squeak, her eyes darted frantically around the room for a good spot to set the Miraculous, when she decided to place it smack in the middle of his bed. He'd have to notice it before he fell asleep.

She had only managed to climb out of the window when she heard him enter his room.  
With a breath of relief that she wasn't caught, and with her hand over her beating heart, Queen B stood for a moment just outside his window to catch her breath before heading home.  
However, things changed when she heard the words he was speaking to someone over the phone.

"Please, you have to know what's wrong with her!" he cried desperately to the person on the other end.  
There was a couple of minutes of silence.  
Queen B felt guilty for eavesdropping, but he was her boyfriend, and he sounded very troubled. She needed to know why this was before she could bear to leave.

"I understand that. But she's the only family I have left, I can't...I can't just give up on her...."

More silence. Queen B felt her heart drop down into her stomach, and her lungs suddenly ceased to function.  
The silence was deafening, and what she was seeing now wasn't the beautiful scenery of a vibrant sunset in Paris that everyone else could see.

__________

_"Mommy! Mommy, what's wrong?" Eight-year-old Chloe ran into the room and sat by her mother's bedside, her expression confused and distressed._

_"Mommy's not feeling very well I'm afraid, my little busy bee," she bopped her on the nose, giving her the most genuine smile she could muster. "That's why I'm here at the hospital, to get better."_

_Her father stood behind her chair, looking down at his wife anxiously._

_"Daddy, Mommy's going to get better?" she smiled for the first time that day. Instead of answering the question, Andre suggested that she go and play with the toy she brought with her in the lounge area just outside Mrs. Bourgeois' room._

_Chloe happily did as she was told, and played for a few moments. Wanting to ask another question that she felt was urgent, she started opening her mother's hospital door when she overheard them talking._

_"Honey, you know as well as I do that there's no cure for this. Why would you give her false hope and tell her you're going to get well?" Chloe heard Andre's voice break.  
Firmly, his wife answered, "because I want my last days with our little girl to be joyful. I don't want her to be worried sick about me. I want the last thing I see to be her beautiful smile."  
_

__________

Chloe knew Nathaniel lived with his grandmother because he had lost both his parents in an accident when he was ten. He had no siblings, much like herself. She was literally everything to him. Just like her mother was to her.

She spent so much time over the years doing anything she could to not think about it. Anytime Chloe felt particularly upset about it, she'd lash out and be particularly nasty to anyone who crossed her path that day. Whatever it took to keep her from feeling the pain....

Queen B wanted nothing more than to launch herself into his window and wrap her arms around him to let him know she was there for him. But she knew she couldn't, so instead she nestled herself onto a rooftop across the street from his, to watch and wait.  
To wait for an akuma to evilize him for the first time in years. And she wouldn't blame him for it. either. Although, that didn't mean she was going to let it happen if she could help it.

She sat out there for an hour. Two hours. Maybe even three. The sun had long since set, but there was no sign of an akuma or Nathaniel.  
Just as she was going to head back for the night, when she had decided that it was most likely safe to leave him, she saw movement in Nathaniel's window.  
A figure climbed out and swiftly leaped up onto the roof. Then suddenly, he was gliding along the rooftops, heading in the opposite direction of her.

Her eyes went wide for a moment, her jaw slacked before she remembered she had left him the Peacock Miraculous, and that he must have discovered it.

Quickly getting to her feet, she followed him as fast as she could, which proved to be surprisingly difficult. Nathaniel was fast as a superhero!

Once she managed to catch up, she found him leaning against the ledge of a nearby bridge, overlooking the peaceful body of water.

Queen B landed nearby, and walked up next to him without his notice, leaning on the ledge as well.

"So, you're the new hero I heard would be joining us?" she said after a moment. Nathaniel jumped at the sudden sound.

"Oh, Queen B! You startled me," he breathed when he recognized the girl beside him.

"Sorry. You seem lost in thought. Are you okay?"

Nathaniel just shook his head.

Queen B rested her chin on her arms as she watched the sparkling water in the dim moonlight. "I saw you running around, and I knew you weren't Chat Noir or Carapace so I had to make sure you weren't an akuma or something. Now that I know you're not, I'll mind my own business and get going."

"Wait," he shouted urgently, his arm outstretched towards her. "What... what do you do when you know you're going to lose somebody that you love?" he broke, frantic for an answer.

Queen B's jaw tightened. "Oh, uhh...I'm not really the right person to ask," she said awkwardly. "I lost someone once, and I was definitely not a good role model. I was the perfect example of how NOT to handle it."

Nathaniel's shoulders slumped at her response. 

"But I do know that you should confide in your friends. It _really_ helps. If I had the friends I had now back then, maybe I would've turned out differently. And you have Team Miraculous. They'd certainly be understanding."

"They don't even know me," 

"They - We don't have to," she corrected to make sure he knew she was including herself. "You're our newest teammate, we have each other's backs. And if you're not able to help us with akuma attacks and stuff right now, I can just let them know you're not ready yet, and-"

"No! Please. I really need this. And I want to help," he interrupted. "Please."

Queen B nodded. "If you're sure you're up for it, I won't say anything... By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Paon Rouge."

Queen B raised her eyebrows a moment before a smile spread across her face.  
"Nice to meet you, Paon Rouge," she said, her tone slightly flirty. And with a wink, she disappeared into the night, leaving her new teammate and boyfriend alone with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any comments or questions about my fanfictions or anything Miraculous Ladybug related, feel free to follow me on Tumblr at ToujoursMiraculous and ask! c:


	40. What To Do?

The sun rose that morning, shining sunbeams in through the cracks of blinds and curtains, waking up the Parisian citizens to start another day.

Our six favorite friends were only four that morning when Marinette and Nathaniel failed to show up in front of the school to meet the others.

"Where's Marinette and Nath?" Nino asked, peering around Alya to see if either of them was walking up to greet them.

"I'm not sure where Marinette is, she didn't text me this morning..." Alya with her face twisted with concern, checked her phone to make sure she didn't miss anything. "Did she text you, Adrien?"

"No," he shook his head, his eyes drooping with exhaustion, but there was a glint of worry there.

"Are you okay, Adrien? You look like you didn't sleep at all last night," observed Alya. "Is everything alright?"

Adrien ignored her. "Do you know where Nathaniel is, Chloe?"

The blond girl wore her sunglasses properly, over her eyes for once, instead of propped up on her head.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't show up today. He -" she cut herself off, taking a quick look at the group to make sure there wasn't anyone around in earshot.  
"Last night when I went to drop off the Miraculous, I overheard him on the phone. It sounds like his grandmother's ill and... she isn't going to make it."

Alya covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide. Adrien's brow furrowed, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground. 

"Poor Nath..." Nino sighed.

"He doesn't know I overheard. I watched over him last night to make sure he didn't get akumatized, and then he ended up transforming. That's when he confided a little in Queen B."

"Nathaniel doesn't need to worry about fighting akumas right now, he should focus on his grandmother," Adrien insisted, but Chloe shook her head. "I know, I already told him he doesn't have to worry about it, but he insists that he wants to help us. He said he needs this."

Adrien brushed his hand through his hair and let out a deep, tired sigh. "Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep yourself occupied... " He turned to look down at Chloe, who was biting her lower lip.

"Oh. Oh Chlo," Adrien whispered, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. "I'm so sorry," he rubbed her back gently.

Chloe sniffled, hiding her face in his chest, trying her hardest not to burst into tears. 

Nino looked alarmed by the gesture, his eyes darting between Adrien and Alya. "Wh-what's going on?"

Alya pulled Nino to the side, and roughly whispered, "Chloe lost her mom a few years ago, and I imagine all of this is bringing those memories back."

"Oh." Nino said, his face relaxing. "Why didn't I know about this before?"

"You should have, she told all of us a few years ago on the anniversary of her mother's death. Gotta keep up, babe!"  
Nino nodded his head as the bell rang. 

Adrien walked with Chloe to class, even went with her to her seat. Once she seemed to perk up a bit, he went and sat down at his table. He glanced over at the empty seat next to his and sighed. Where was she?

Halfway through the class, Marinette sneakily came in without the teacher noticing, as he had his back to his class while writing on the blackboard.

Adrien gave her a welcoming grin, but she quickly looked away, using her hair as a curtain to block him out of her peripheral vision.

Alya noticed Marinette's strange behavior, so at lunch, she brought it up when she was obviously shying away from everyone.

"What's wrong, Marinette? You've been avoiding us."

Nathaniel, Chloe, Adrien, and Nino also looked at her with worrying expressions.

"Did we do something?" Nathaniel asked.

Marinette's head shot up, her eyebrows raised and her mouth popped open in surprise.  
"No! No, nothing like that... it's...." she nervously moved around in her chair. "I found out I got into Parsons School of Design in New York," she said, not meeting their eyes.

Her friends made gasps of surprise, and she heard a squeal before everyone started congratulating her. But she didn't look like someone that had just gotten into a top-notch Fashion school, quite the opposite actually.

"That means I'll be in New York... away from you guys."

Four of the five at the table knew right away that she wasn't just talking about being away from her friends. 

"Oh girl, you don't have to worry about that. We'll be fine here. You can't pass up this opportunity!"

"But-" she tried to argue.

"No buts, Marinette!" Chloe interrupted. "You have to go."

She saw Nino, Nathaniel, and Alya nod in agreement.  
Slowly, she turned her head to look at Adrien for the first time and braced herself for his reaction.

He was straightfaced and calm. He motioned with his head for her to come with him away from the table so they could talk.

After they were out of hearing and viewing range of their friends, Adrien took Marinette's hands in his, and began to speak.

"So this is why you've been acting so strangely?"

Marinette faced the ground and nodded slowly.

He let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad this is all it was, you've had me worried!"

She gaped at him. "But this is serious, Adrien! I won't be able to be... Ladybug," she had glanced around before whispering the name. 

"I know you're worried, but we'll be okay. You can't give up your future - your dream - for Paris. What would your parents tell you if they knew who you were...you know...."

"They'd probably say the same things you guys are saying," she sighed.

"Exactly. Ultimately the decision is up to you, but you shouldn't make it because of the team."

Marinette looked down at their intertwined hands. "But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I'll be leaving you, to go thousands of miles away... We'll be apart again," she sounded so miserable, Adrien's heart sank a little.  
He squeezed her hand gently and caressed her face with his free hand.

"Marinette, you can't stay here just because of me. If I'm being honest with you, for selfish reasons, I don't want you to go. I would love nothing more than for you to stay, but we're together now, and if for some reason you're unhappy there, you can come home whenever you want to. It's not permanent. This is nothing like my time in New York. This is a great opportunity, and we'll still get to see each other and talk whenever you have the time."

She looked up into his eyes that were definitely sad, but also very warm and encouraging.

"You'll be okay?"

"I'll be okay," he assured her. 

Marinette leaned her head on his chest, and he wrapped her arms around her.

"Why can't life just be simple?" she mumbled.

Adrien chuckled. "When you're superheroes that are also in the fashion industry, how can you ever expect life to be simple?"

She laughed, pushing herself away from him so she could see his smile. "Good point, kitty... I'll give it a bit more thought, okay? But for now, I've been thinking about your mom, Adrien, and I think I'm ready enough to help you find her."

"What?" he froze in shock. 

"We'll talk about it later, okay? Tell the others when you can that we need to talk, and tell Chloe she'll need to have Queen B go and talk to Paon Rouge."

Adrien just stared at Marinette, which caused her to smile widely for the first time that day. She took his hand again, and started pulling him away.

"Let's hurry and go back because I seriously don't think I can stand one of Alya and Nino's inappropriate comments today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The upcoming chapters are going to be about Adrien's mom! Finally, right? x3


	41. Chapter 41

"Alright, so Queen, you're going to explain to Paon Rouge about our mission. The rest of us are going to stay here and figure out what exactly we're going to do. Is that okay?" Ladybug asked.

"Not a problem. I want to check on him to see how he's doing anyway," she shrugged and got up from her seat in the conference room at the hotel. "Want me to bring him here once I've informed him?"

"Only if he's up for it." 

Queen B nodded and left the room.

Ladybug turned to face Chat. "So... let me get this straight, your mom just... disappeared one day?" 

"Dusuu told me that my dad found my mom's Miraculous. Dusuu isn't sure what happened exactly, but she says she ended up being put back into her Miraculous and by the time she was brought out, my mom was gone," his eyes flooded with pain as he pictured the words he spoke.

Ladybug nodded and reached for Chat's hand that was resting on the table.

Rena Rouge smiled at the cute moment between them but had a question to ask. "How are we going to find her? It sounds like we don't have much to go on here."

"I have an idea," Carapace spoke up. "But it might not be easy."

"Whatcha got?" Chat asked.

"It sounds like there might be some things we can find out if we pay your dad a visit."

"What?!" he replied, taken aback. Was he seriously suggesting that they bring up his mother to his father? Whenever he brought her up, his father grew even colder and angrier than usual. He wouldn't take kindly to a bunch of strangers, or at least those he thinks are strangers, asking about his missing wife.  
But he did have a point....

"You won't have to say anything, I can ask him about it," Ladybug squeezed his hand to reassure him.

Chat nodded. "He gets upset with me whenever I mention her. I don't blame him, but don't expect him to be upfront about it."

"So he had your mom's Miraculous and a book about the Miraculous in his safe? I can understand wanting to keep something of hers safe, but why would he have the book, and how did he get it?" Rena Rouge titled her head slightly in confusion.

"That's what I don't understand."

Ladybug had a thoughtful expression on her face as she pondered it. If Adrien's dad wasn't the one who originally had them, but his mom, it still didn't make sense. A Miraculous holder shouldn't have had the book, and Master Fu had been looking for it for years according to Tikki, so why was he never given it?  
"What is it, LB?" Carapace noticed she seemed deep in thought.

Ladybug just shook her head. Then her communicator went off.

"We're coming," Queen B informed her.

"Thanks, Queen," she nodded at her before hanging up.  
"Remember, Nathaniel doesn't know our identities, so try not to act too familiar or say anything that could give it away," she gave Carapace a pointed look.

"What?" he asked, confused as to why she was specifically looking at him.

"Out of all of us, you're the one that would most likely let it slip...."

"Why would you - You know what, you're probably right," he realized, remembering when he first found out Marinette was Ladybug. "Heh..."

"What happened?" Rena Rouge perked up, her drive to find out secrets kicking in.

"He practically screamed that I was Ladybug in the locker room, that day we had to walk out of class after we found out about... well, you remember, right? And then he kept talking about it in public."

Carapace frowned and rested his head on his arms that he rested on the table. "I was just really excited at the time. I bet you would've been gushing about it 24/7 if it were you instead of me. You might've accidentally blogged it, even. But don't worry, I'll be extra careful when Nath gets here."

The group fell silent and gazed around at one another. 

"Isn't it kind of weird, that we're the heroes of Paris out of everyone in the entire city?" Carapace expressed suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Mmm, when you think about it, not really," Ladybug responded after a moment. "We're friends that obviously care about helping other people, and we're kind to others. And since we were heroes first," she gestured towards Chat and then back to herself, "it makes sense that Master Fu would observe those closest to us." 

"When you put it that way, it makes sense," Rena said. "I've been wondering that too, as of late."

Queen B and Paon Rouge entered the room then, and everyone at the table straightened up.  
"So what's the plan?" Queen B strut into the room and took her seat next to Carapace. Paon Rouge stepped in only enough to shut the door but didn't make any attempt to join the others at the table.

"Come sit, Paon Rouge," Ladybug encouraged when she noticed he hadn't moved, motioning for him to join them. He sat in the seat next to Ladybug, across from Queen B. "If you have any questions or concerns, don't be afraid to ask us, okay?" she smiled kindly at him.

Paon Rouge gave a nod, a small smile on his face in return.

"We're going to talk to Mr. Agreste about what happened to Mrs. Agreste, see if we get any leads from that. We might also have to look through that safe..." she glanced at Chat Noir.

"Something could've been missed the first time around," he agreed. "It won't be easy though."

"I have a hunch, and if I'm right... this isn't going to be very fun," Ladybug warned. "But it has to happen sooner or later."

Chat shot her an anxious look. She'd have to tell him later when they were alone since she wasn't completely sure yet and didn't want the entire team jumping to conclusions.

"When we get there, Chat and Rena Rouge, you sneak away and take a look in the safe. I trust Rena Rouge will be able to recognize anything that could indicate where she might be or what happened to her and remember it if necessary. The rest of you, stay with me while I ask about Mrs. Agreste. Alright?"

"Works for me!" Rena Rouge eagerly stood up. Chat's shoulders and ears slumped, and Ladybug stroked his face to comfort him for a moment before heading out of the room behind the others.

Chat stayed back a few moments, as he worried about what might happen. What if his father closes the door on them, ruining any chance or keeping them from any leads? What if his father did know something? If so, why hasn't he done anything about it?

Either way, he couldn't keep away the hope that began to swell up inside of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to leave the chapter off here, as things are going to really start picking up!


	42. Purring Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir purrs.

The team made it to Adrien's home in only a couple of minutes. The concept of going home with his entire team to interrogate his father about his mother was no doubt the strangest thing he's ever had to do. He was relieved that Ladybug had offered to do the talking for him, while he investigated the safe with Rena Rouge. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Gabriel Agreste greeted the team from the top of the staircase in a cold and irritated tone.

"We're here to talk to you about your wife, Mr. Agreste," Ladybug answered calmly, though she could feel the tension that hovered in the room. Every one of them knew Gabriel to some extent and anticipated trouble. "We heard she's been... away for quite some time, and that it may have to do with... something that we can take care of."

Gabriel raised his eyebrow a moment, and then sighed.  
"My apologies, please, come," he said, descending the stairs to the lounge area.  
"Where are Chat Noir and Rena Rouge?"

Ladybug glanced down at the ground for a second, catching Gabriel's attention, but she quickly looked up at him with a smile, and replied, "They're busy with something else today."

Gabriel let it go, but he felt that something was amiss.

Whilst Ladybug, Queen B, Carapace, and Paon Rouge spoke with Gabriel, Chat, and Rena sneaked into the dining room where the safe hid behind the grand painting of his mother.

"How are we going to get in? I'm sure your father never told you the combination," she whispered.

Chat Noir gave her a cocky grin, wiggled his eyebrows, and leaned his head against the safe .

"How do you know how to break into a safe?!"

"I dunno, I guess it just comes naturally to me," he said with a shrug and the same cocky grin was still very much apparent.

Rena Rouge just glared at him.

"I can see why Ladybug groans about you all the time, you're terrible!"

Chat just laughed.

Once the safe had been opened, they took a quick look around inside.

They found information about Tibet, Chat told her where the Peacock Miraculous had been before he removed it, and...

"Wait, what are these?!" Rena Rouge exclaimed, pointing to the bottom shelf.

"They look like scrolls. Really, really old scrolls."

Without discussing it with Chat first, Rena snatched the scrolls out of the safe and began running out of the room like a bandit. In total disbelief, Chat stared after her for a moment in surprise before he quickly shut the safe up and followed after her.

"What are you-"

Rena Rouge held a finger over her mouth to get him to stop talking.

"Thank you for your visit, Ladybug...and everyone else. By the way, where did you get your Miraculous young man?" they heard Gabriel ask. Chat's face twisted in confusion.

"That's confidential sir, I'm sure you understand," Paon Rouge replied swiftly.

"Yes... well thank you again, you may take your leave as I have business to take care of," he curtly stated, and they heard him ascend the stairs.

Chat and Rena Rouge waited for Gabriel to be out of sight before joining the group.

Ladybug spotted the scrolls in Rena Rouge's arms as they approached. Puzzled, she looked back and forth between the two.

"Let's get out of here first," Rena Rouge answered her unspoken question in a low voice, and the six heroes exited the Agreste mansion before they were caught.

"What did my da-, I mean, what did Mr. Agreste tell you?" he corrected himself, making a face. Outside of when they're all together in a more casual and private setting, they could not let their tongues slip, and Chat was still not used to this.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel. Queen, you should really ask the mayor if we can just dedicate one of the rooms to our meetings. I'm beginning to see why superheroes teams in movies always had a headquarters, we could sure use one. And since we're not full-fledged adults yet with money, the hotel's the best we've got," Ladybug sighed. "Because talking out in the open with as many of us as there are and with such sensitive information, isn't going to cut it anymore."

"I could _totally_ buy anything we'd need for a headquarters, just say the word!" Queen B exclaimed, looking pleased with herself until she realized there were five pairs of eyes staring at her. A few moments later, she understood why.  
"Oh, right. Daddy would notice, and then my identity would be in extreme danger of being revealed. Got it."

Chat Noir chuckled. "Although, when we turn 21, we'll get our trusts. We could put some of that money into building or buying a headquarters."

Carapace couldn't believe his ears. "I'm listening to two people talk about being so rich that they can put a fraction of their inherited money into building a superhero headquarters. Are you kidding me right now, this is insane," he began shaking his head. "Not that a headquarters wouldn't be awesome and convenient, it's just... this just seems so unreal."

"What we lack in skill, we can make up with money," Queen B shrugged, her remark earning a sharp "hey!" from Chat Noir.  
"Sorry Kitty, but isn't it usually _Ladybug_ saving _you_ from akumas?"

Chat mumbled inaudibly, but it sounded like he was admitting defeat.

"And I'll admit, I'm not the most talented superhero..."

"What are you talking about Queen, you've done extremely well from what I can remember," Ladybug interjected with her support. 

Chat whined by Ladybug's side.

She sighed. "Chaton, you know I would be nothing without you, don't you?" she cooed sweetly, and pet his hair behind his left cat ear. 

"I know," he purred. He literally started to purr, to the surprise of everyone around him.

Ladybug removed her hand in surprise, and the four other heroes burst into a fit of laughter.

"You _purr_?!" Rena Rouge shrieked.

Carapace snorted. "Dude, what even!" 

Chat's face was bright red, a sight that had never been seen by Ladybug before, and she felt bad for him. Embarrassment was a rarity for both Chat and Adrien.

"Okay okay, stop teasing my boyfriend please," she asked nicely, but with a ring of authority to it. 

The laughing ceased at once. "Thank you," she said with a smile.

"Now can we hurry and get back to the hotel? You know, I'm _pur_ etty anxious to get started," he said quite seriously, despite his pun that was probably at this point more of a reflex, and made his way back towards the hotel before any of the others could reply.

"You heard the man," Carapace shrugged and followed suit, the others following right behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the team's dynamic so much.
> 
> And I realize this is a short chapter, and that I'm saying there are only two chapters after this. I'm planning to make the next one fairly long, so don't worry!


	43. Secret Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's keeping something from his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have yet to see Season 2 Episode 7 of Miraculous Ladybug, there is a spoiler for the remaining chapters regarding Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. So if you want to remain completely spoiler-free, I'd advise you wait to read this chapter until after seeing the episode.
> 
>  
> 
> **Also, in between chapter 42 and this chapter, 43, Nathaniel told the team he knew that they were his friends, that he's known their identities for awhile now since he's constantly hanging around them. Thus, why they decided to be themselves in the room as opposed to their superhero identities.**

"What do these even mean?" Chloe muttered, completely annoyed while looking at one of the scrolls.

"They're maps, Chloe," Nathaniel didn't bother glancing up from the one he had been observing. Wayzz hovered over Nathaniel's shoulder.

"I recognize this place," the turtle Kwami pointed to a specific part of the map. "If I remember right, this is where the Order of the Guardians trained."

Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino looked up from the single map that they had been glancing at.

"Are you sure?" asked Adrien, wanting confirmation.

Wayzz floated closer to the boy. "Not for certain, but if I had to bet, that's where I'd say it's a map of."

"Maybe I should go talk to Master Fu," Marinette stood up and started towards the door.

"Wait! I should go," Adrien leaped out of his seat and caught her before she could leave. "Since it's about finding my mom, and these maps were found in my father's safe, I should be the one to talk to him."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" she asked, taking Adrien's hand in hers. "We could both talk to him."

"I'm sure. It's alright, I need to talk to him about something else anyway. Don't worry, I won't be very long," he smiled before calling Plagg to transform him and left his five friends and teammates, along with their Kwami's, staring after him.

"That boy's hiding something...." Alya noted.  
Marinette continued to stare at the door with a concerned expression on her face, she knew that smile all too well. Alya was right.

Chat Noir ducked behind a dumpster, releasing his transformation.  
Adrien pulled out a small leather diary from his shirt pocket, opened it up, and quickly turned to a page.

He read over this specific page for the umpteenth time, and just like all the times before, the words he read caused his brow to crease.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Plagg popped up behind Adrien's shoulder. "I'm sure we could find another way, a better way. Just give it time...."

"We're running out of time, Plagg!" Adrien shouted. "It's been years now. She's been gone for years. Hawkmoth's getting more desperate for our Miraculous. It all makes sense now. This is the only way I know how to fix everything."

Plagg looked down at the book with a sigh, but said nothing more.

"Ahh, Adrien!" the old man greeted him as he entered the shop. It had been a few years since he had been here alone. "I didn't get a chance to say it the last time you were here, but welcome back to Paris! Come in. Usually, it's Ladybug that comes to visit me, so this is quite a surprise."

"Nice to see you again, Master Fu," Adrien greeted politely. 

"What seems to be troubling you?"

Adrien raised his eyebrows, making his eyes go wide. Master Fu chuckled.

"You only come alone to visit me when there is something going on. Not to mention, it's written all over your face. Please, take a seat and tell me all about it."

Adrien hesitated for a moment before doing what the old master asked of him. He first handed over the map that Wayzz had said showed them where the Order of the Guardians trained.

"Ahh yes, this is a map of the place where myself and the other Guardians learned about the Miraculous," he said softly, his eyes looked to be far away, probably in a completely different century. "There were some other maps along with this one, they led to areas around the facility where important artifacts and information were kept. Where did you find them?"

He bowed his head before he replied. "My father's safe, sir. He had them along with a book about the Miraculous, the Peacock Miraculous, and a... a journal. My father," Adrien took a deep breath. "My father is Hawkmoth."

This, however, did not surprise the old master.

"You know?" Adrien looked at the man in pain when he registered what his reaction meant. 

"I suspected."

There was silence for a moment, except for the sound of Master Fu sipping his tea.

"I know what his plan is, and why he wants our Miraculous."

Fu set his cup down, his eyes focused on Adrien.

"They grant a wish, right? To whoever possesses them both?"

Master Fu cleared his throat. "That is correct. They do grant a wish but at a terrible cost."

"My father's wish is to bring my mother home. And he knew what the cost would be," Adrien's right hand clenched over the now rolled up map. He saw his silver ring caught the light in the room, making it shine.

"Master, I told him not to go along with this, but he won't listen!" Plagg appeared from behind Adrien. "He's so stubborn, I told him we can find something else out, but he keeps insisting anyway!"

"Plagg!" Adrien whined. "It's not your decision to make."

"Do you think Ladybug and the others will be okay with this?" he cried. 

The boy shut his eyes a moment and tried to keep his voice even. "Of course not. That's why they're not going to find out. Right Plagg?" he warned.

The cat Kwami grumbled.

"It sounds like you've thought long and hard about this, Adrien," he sighed and got to his feet. "I can tell that whatever I say to you won't change your mind. But I would like to give you some advice before you go to ponder over anyway."

Adrien stood up, towering over the little Asian man.

"Alright."

"Consider how those closest to you will feel if you go through with this. Including the person, you're trying to save. You're a very kind, caring, and selfless young man. I just hope that you'll stay true to yourself and do the right thing. That's all I have to say," he shuffled across the floor to the old gramophone and put on an old record.

He nodded, though the master couldn't see him.  
"Thank you, Master Fu, it's always a pleasure to see you. I'm sorry my visits have always been under unpleasant circumstances."

The old man turned his head slightly but said nothing.

"I'll be heading out now. Thank you for the information, and the advice. Goodbye," he bowed again before he exited the shop.

Master Fu turned around as the bell on the door jingled. He let out a long sigh.

Back at the hotel, Chat Noir came through the door to his waiting team and their Kwami's. He made sure to stay transformed to keep Plagg from talking.

"Master Fu confirmed what Wayzz suspected, this is the Order of the Guardian's training center. And the other maps are of locations near there, where special artifacts and other things that they needed to keep hidden were kept."

Wayzz floated to the center of the table. "Which means, we'll need to go to Tibet."

Everyone in the room but Chat and Chloe's jaws dropped. 

"Tibet? How are we going to get there? Much less, how are we going to be away that long without our families noticing?" Nino began to panic.

"Relax Nino, I'll just call Daddy and ask if we can go on a trip there. He wouldn't dare say no. And since Daddy will insist that my butler be our babysitter, it shouldn't be difficult to get away," Chloe beamed, her chin sticking up in the air slightly, revealing that she felt proud and useful. "But I will need to know the nearest city first...."

"Shigatse," Wayzz replied immediately.

Chloe just nodded and began dialing. 

"Guess now all that's left is getting our parents permission," said Chat nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Depending on how writing goes, I may have 2 more chapters instead of one left, I'll have to see. Either way, we're coming to a close! :O


	44. From Where You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, this is the last chapter!

They were all allowed on the trip to Tibet, including Adrien, much to his surprise. Though naturally, he had to bring Gorilla along with him. Nathaniel wasn't exactly fond of leaving his grandmother behind in the hospital when he was sure her days were limited, but he couldn't abandon his new team and his friends, so he asked the staff to call him if anything serious happened. Chloe offered to send him back to Paris immediately if need be.

They spent their first day in Tibet resting from the long flight, and wandering into town a bit. They knew their chaperones would report back to their families all that they did and experienced, so they needed to fill up their itinerary with plenty of things to make the trip a success. But to them, the only thing that would make this trip successful was bringing Adrien's mother along with them on the plane home.

The next morning, as the sun began to rise, shining dull rays into the boys' room, Adrien sneaked out of the room, trying not to wake up his friends and all of their sleeping Kwami's.  
He tiptoed down the hall and creaked open the girls' door. Before he could stick his head in to see if she was awake yet, Marinette pulled the door open, slid herself out into the hall, and quickly shut it behind her before she could wake up Alya and Chloe.

Marinette held her finger to her lips to keep him from speaking, and took his hand, pulling him towards a door that led outside.

"Is everything okay?" she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. It had been much colder out than she had expected.

"Yeah, yeah everything's fine," he rushed, "I just wanted to see you."  
She smiled. 

"Take a walk with me?" Adrien asked, taking her hands in his.

They walked for a few minutes along a little path that lead into a beautiful area with a little pond. Little animals were scurrying around, and birds were singing their greetings to the day up in the canopy of trees above.

"Big day, huh?" Marinette asked, breaking the silence. 

"Ah, yeah, it is...." he squeezed her hand just a bit tighter than he had been already. He also wouldn't turn to meet her eyes.

"Are you okay, Adrien?"  
"Just worried about finding my mom, that's all," he breathed. 

Marinette brushed his cheek with her thumb, and he closed her eyes at the contact.

"It'll be alright, we'll find her, and we'll bring her home," she murmured.  
Adrien just nodded. 

"We have a couple of hours before we're going to be woken up. Do you think we should get the others and see if we can at least find where we need to go?"

He swallowed. Butterflies assaulted his stomach. He had waited for this day to come, but he never thought that it would be like this, with no truly happy ending.

"Okay," he agreed, and let Marinette pull him along back to their hotel to wake the others.

"I believe it's around here," Carapace guided them, following the maps that he had memorized, with the help and very descriptive instructions from Wayzz.

Ladybug glanced at Chat encouragingly, and he forced a small smile.

"Ah yes! This is the cave!" Carapace called from up ahead.

The heroes hesitantly approached the entrance, and glanced down into the darkness anxiously.

"You don't think there are, like, bugs in there, do you?" Queen B mumbled nervously. "Because I'm terrified of them."

"But you're a Bee, and you were always a huge fan of me, and I'm a Ladybug."

She hid behind Paon Rouge. "I mean _real_ bugs!"  
Carapace chuckled. "I'll lead the way, and let you know if I see any bugs. Don't worry."

Paon Rouge took her hand, and she made sure she stayed right behind him at all times.

The team entered, and a few feet into the cave, they noticed lit torches on the cave walls, their flames a vibrant orange.

"Strange, these shouldn't be lit. Unless somebody's recently been here...." 

A couple of them gulped, looking down into the cave, even more anxious than before.

"I'm sure it's fine, guys. And even if there is someone in there, it doesn't necessarily mean they're a danger to us. Let's go," she urged them all onward.

As they walked further in, they noticed on the walls were paintings of Miraculous holders, and Paon Rouge especially had to stop and look at each one to marvel over them.

"They're amazing," he cried.

After what felt like hours, they made it to the tunnel's end, and what greeted them there made Adrien's stomach squirm.

"M-m-mom?"

On the wall hung a portrait of Mrs. Agreste, and it was unmistakable who she was. It looked very similar to the painting that hung in their house, the one that kept Gabriel's items locked away.

"I didn't - I wasn't expecting to find her so soon," he smiled up at her sadly. 

His friends showed their support and love by putting their hands on his shoulders and arms. Ladybug, however, held his hand.

"Let's detransform. Maybe our Kwami's will know what to do," she suggested, and immediately let hers go. Her friends did the same.

"Adrien's mom has been locked away in this portrait somehow. Do you know how to get her out?" she asked them. All six of the Kwami's stared up in shock, however, Dusuu shed some tears at the sight of her beloved friend trapped away like that.

"There are a couple of ways, one of which could be very serious," Tikki explained. "The other I'm not sure if it'll work."

"I know one way," Adrien spoke, putting in all his effort to sound strong and steady, even though he was beginning to feel weak in the knees. "Marinette, use our Miraculous. You can set her free with them."

Before she had a chance to reply, Adrien removed his ring. Plagg had started to protest, but he disappeared the moment the ring was willingly off his finger.  
"Adrien!" Tikki warned, but he just shook her head.

"Take it, please," he whispered, putting the ring in her hand, forcing her fingers to curl over it.  
She looked at it a moment, observing all the details the cat Miraculous had to offer before she slipped it on her ring finger of her right hand. Plagg appeared again and started to protest, but Adrien just shot him a look.

"You can save my mother, with the power of both the Miraculous. When they come together, they can grant a wish."

Suddenly, a flashback overwhelmed her. It was from years ago, back before her team came together before Chat had left, before she knew his identity. 

_"Master, do you know why Hawkmoth would want both of the Miraculouses? I don't see what all he could do with our powers. It's not like they'd help give him the power to take over the world," Marinette asked one quiet afternoon during her occasional tea with the wise old man._

_"Oh but Marinette, that's where you are wrong. You may think that it would be just simply the holder of both having the power to create and the power to destroy one thing before the five minutes are up. But yours and Chat Noir's Miraculous hide an incredible power when brought together, that no other Miraculouses can ever recreate._

_Your Miraculouses represent Yin and Yang, I suppose you know about them?"_

_"Yes," Marinette answered. "They're different entities that represent opposites, however, one cannot exist without the other."_

_"Correct," Master Fu replied. "Chat Noir's Miraculous represents bad luck and destruction. Ladybug's represents good luck and creation. They cannot exist without each other, yet they're opposites._

_You and Chat Noir, cannot exist without one another either, now that you've been brought together. You two were destined for one another."_

_Marinette made a face, but she didn't dare argue with Fu._

_"These Miraculouses when brought together, much like you and Chat Noir, can do remarkable things. Things that you could not even dream... but also like Yin and Yang, there must be a balance. With whatever the holder of both Miraculous wish, there will be an event to counteract it, to balance it out._

_If a person had just lost a loved one, and they wished to bring them back to life, someone else in their life would have to die in their place._  
If one wished for world peace, that all the wars in existence today, and all wars that could potentially start in the future were wiped from our future history, then something else catastrophic and utterly terrifying would swoop in to take war's place.  
By using this power as a solution to a problem, it'll only be creating another. 

_Sometimes, our problems can be solved in other ways, where this balance of power will not create a problem as severe, or even cause one to exist at all. That's why it's important to look for every solution possible to a problem before ever resorting to using the Bug and Cat Miraculouses, and also that it's important to know when some things need to be let go of."_

Marinette's eyes went wide as she recoiled away from Adrien.  
"No!" she screamed, her body beginning to shake. "How- how could you ask me to do this?!" she asked, her voice cracking.

Their friends had jumped at her sudden outburst. 

"I - I -" he stuttered.

"I know what will happen if I do this, Adrien. I know that if I wish for your mother to be freed, that you will take her place, or something even worse. I'd _lose_ you, forever. How could I live with that? Don't you know it's not possible for one of us to truly lose the other without the other one perishing, or going insane?"

Adrien just stared down at her with his mouth popped open. The others tried to follow what was being said.

"Wait, so you're saying that Adrien was going to sacrifice himself to save his mother?" Nino asked in a pained tone.

Adrien glanced over at his best bud for a second, then looked back down at the ground, giving a nod.

"Dude...."

Chloe looked like she was about to cry at how close she came to losing him. 

"How did you know about this, Adrien?" Nathaniel asked. 

"My father, I found out all about it in this journal of his," he held up the small book, and flipped it open. "It was kept in his safe, and I had removed it just after we had gotten back to Paris. Reading through it, I... I discovered he's Hawkmoth."

Everyone in the room glanced at him with various levels of shock and worry on their faces, including the Kwami's. 

"It wasn't obvious, at first. But I figured out that he wanted them, so he could bring them together for a wish, and that wish was to bring her back. Reading through it, I realized that if he were to do so, I'd be sacrificed. That's when it clicked. My father kept me away from everything, kept me busy and safe, him keeping his distance...it was all because he needed me in the end, to bring her home in my place."

The impact his words had on his friends was powerful. The girls began to cry, and Nino was clearly trying not to, and instead punched the wall of the cave to alleviate his anger.

"If I ever see your father again, I swear I'll..." he muttered through his teeth.

Nathaniel stood there with furrowed brow, shaking his head.

All the Kwami's looked at each other with sadness, and Plagg for the first time that he could ever remember cuddled Adrien's face. 

"We're going to get your mother out of there," Marinette sniffled. "But I am _not_ going to lose you, do you hear me?"

He nodded, making sure not to look into her eyes. 

She suddenly flung her arms around his neck, enveloping him in a tight hug.  
"I will not," she whispered in his ear and moved her hands so they cradled his face.  
In a single moment, her lips were on his. He could feel her pain, her desperation, and her love that she had harbored in her heart, in that kiss.  
He reciprocated, pouring his emotions into it as well.

"You won't lose me," he whispered.

"Good," she sniffed and wiped away the wetness under her eyes.

"There is another way that I know we can try, Adrien," Tikki spoke up, and flitted over to him so that she was in front of his face. "Us Kwami's may be able to get her out of there." 

Adrien blinked.

"What are the consequences of that?" Nathaniel asked at once.

"Nothing serious like there would be if the Cat and Bug Miraculouses came together, but even if it were as simple as freeing her manually, there could always be repercussions. The same could be said about any decision or action."

"Then can you guys try it?" Marinette had asked them, looking at each individual Kwami.

"Of course we'll try, Marinette," Wayzz replied.

"I'd do anything for you, kid," Plagg smiled at his Chosen, his words touched Adrien deeply.

"We'll all help, as we've gotten to know you through our Chosen's, Adrien. They all care very much about you, and because of that, so do we," Pollen buzzed around his head before flying to face Adrien's mother.

Although they weren't sure if it was possible, especially given that Nooroo wasn't present, they would try with all their power, and all of their will to bring her out of the ancient trap.

When the wall began to glow, Adrien's heart started to race. The light became so bright, that they had to shield their eyes.

But when the light had dimmed and disappeared, Adrien's mother had been set free. She was standing but a yard away from him.  
He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Mom?" he breathed.

She blinked a few times, her eyes trying to adjust, but her ears didn't need any adjusting, and turned towards the voice.

"Adrien? Oh Adrien, is that you?" she asked as he came into focus.

Adrien beamed then, his eyes filling up with tears of joy. "Mom!" 

"My angel!" she held her arms out for him, and for the first time in years, he got to feel what it was like to be in her arms again.

Nino started to cry watching his best friend reunite with his mother. Alya had silent tears streak down her cheeks. She leaned on Nino's shoulder as she watched Adrien with his mom.

Chloe and Nathaniel wore smiles on their faces, but their eyes held a sadness that would never be able to be erased, as their mothers, and Nathaniel's grandmother would never have a chance of coming back again.

Marinette stood away from them with Tikki, she watched with a huge grin on her face.

"It's wonderful for him to have his mom back," Tikki commented, her eyes bright.

"And it's all because of you, Tikki. Thank you," she said, taking the little Kwami in her hands and kissing the top of her head.

When they had returned from the cave - which taken them a lot longer than the trip there since they couldn't leave Mrs. Agreste to walk while the others used their various means to move at a much faster pace than any regular human - Chloe had arranged for them all to fly back to Paris the following day.

His friends left him to spend time alone with his mom, while they explored the nearby Tibetan towns and scenery.

Adrien caught her up on all he could. About the friends he had made when she was away, all of his new experiences, his time in New York, and of course his experience as Chat Noir. She was happy and relieved that for the most part, things had gone so well for him.  
However, she wasn't pleased to find out about Gabriel, and his coldness and anger. And when he informed her of his supervillain status, all the chaos and damage he had caused, not to mention his reason for doing so and his plan to make it a reality, she was furious.

"How could Gabriel _do_ such a thing?!" she paced the room.

"I... I honestly don't know, Mom," he shook his head, and his shoulders slumped. 

"And how could he ever think that I'd be able to live and be happy knowing that my husband sacrificed my precious son to save me?" she sat down next to Adrien and stroked his hair before pulling him into another hug.  
"I'm so proud of you," his mom whispered. "You've grown up so well."

He smiled a brilliant, toothy grin. Marinette's mom had been right after all. "When we get back home, I want you to meet Marinette's parents. I think you'll really like them." 

"Of course, they treated my boy so well, I'd love to meet them to thank them!"

"Thanks, Mom," he said, hugging her again. 

Before their flight back to France, Marinette talked with Adrien and his mom about needing to take Gabriel's Miraculous from him and that he would need to be brought to justice. As hard as it was to think about, they both agreed. No matter his intentions or his reasoning, it was unacceptable to have tormented the poor citizens of Paris for years, and they all deserved justice.

After arriving home, Adrien, his mother, and Gorilla walked through the door to Gabriel and Nathalie awaiting him. They did not expect to see the blond woman enter the door.

Gabriel's eyes went wide, and he practically ran down the stairs to greet her. He could barely believe his what he was seeing.

"You're... you're...."

"Adrien rescued me," she said with a soft smile, her arm wrapped around his back.

"But how?" he uttered, looking down at his son. Adrien showed him his shiny, silver ring.

"My Kwami, along with the others, released mom from her prison," he answered coldly. "I know all about you, Father. I know you're Hawkmoth. I know you were trying to get our Miraculouses to save Mom. And I know you were going to sacrifice me to do so."

Gabriel looked desperately at his wife, but she closed her eyes and looked away. She never thought the man that she loved would be capable of such things.

Police came in through the door, with Ladybug leading the way.

"Your Miraculous, Mr. Agreste," she demanded with a straight face. It bothered her knowing that he was her boyfriend's father, the one person she truly looked up to and had aspired to be like. Her jaw tightened as he pulled at the scarf around his neck.  
He surrendered the Miraculous without a word to Ladybug.

"All I wanted was for you to be safe, for you to be home again, with me."

His wife's head snapped towards him. "I never asked you to torture people, or give up our son's life for me. I can't accept someone that would do such things, claiming their actions are because of me. I never knew you had the potential, Gabriel."

She led Adrien up the stairs, so he didn't have to stand there and watch the police take his father away, but Adrien looked back at his father with sad eyes. He could never have it all, his parents together, a happy family. Despite what his father had planned to do, he still loved him. He didn't hate him for it. But he knew that this situation was the best for him, being with his mother again. And maybe someday, there was hope that they could come together again as a family.

\----------

A few months later had passed since their trip to Tibet.  
They had finished their schooling and were set to pursue higher education and their careers.

Adrien decided he'd go traveling awhile with his mom, while Marinette was set to leave for New York to enter the world of fashion.

They both had flights that boarded at the same time, heading in opposite directions.  
Their families had left them alone for a bit to let them say their goodbyes.

"Do you think the team will be okay without us?" Marinette wondered, biting her lower lip.

"I'm sure they will. Without frequent akumas, the number of super villains in Paris has decreased dramatically. I'm sure when one does show up, they'll be able to handle it. I'll join them again when I return."

She only nodded.

"What's wrong?" he cupped her face.

"I don't want to leave you," she shook her head, "not after everything that's happened."

"Marinette, you're not really leaving me. No matter what happens, no matter how far away from where you are that I may be, or you from me, always know that my heart is forever with you, wishing that the rest of me could be with you, too. One day in the near future, we will be together again. Just you wait," he smiled his brilliant smile and threw her a wink. 

Tears escaped the corners of Marinette's eyes, and as they fell down her cheeks, Adrien wiped them gently away with his thumb. She let out a sorrowful laugh and a sniffle.

"I love you, Kitty," she whispered.

Adrien leaned in, resting his forehead on hers. "And I love you, my beautiful Princess."

Marinette stood on her tip toes, tilting her head upwards until her lips met his. Although it sent her heart into a frenzy, the kiss also caused her heart to ache. The pain within it increasing with every second that ticked by, with every second that brought her closer to letting go.

She didn't have to leave. But she would be giving up an amazing opportunity, one that everyone in her life understood the importance of, and insisted she take. She had worked too hard for the chance to study fashion in America to give it up now. Marinette had swallowed back all the fear and doubt that rose up within her and accepted her decision. Though that didn't make this any less painful.

Adrien wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him. She nestled her face in his chest, enjoying the moment before it was gone, and fought to stay strong and not fall apart. 

Over the intercom, Marinette's flight was announced that it had begun boarding passengers.

"I have to go," she wiped her eyes with her forearm.

Adrien looked behind him when he heard the announcement for his plane. 

"Me too," he said with a sad smile. "Remember, it's not forever. I'll see you soon."

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you soon."

Their Kwami's poked their heads out to say their goodbye's to each other. Plagg was going to miss Marinette. She was always so kind to him, and knew just how to make him happy.  
And Tikki, spending time with Adrien was always joyful for her.

Marinette and Adrien walked a few steps apart from each other, closer towards their planes. They both stopped and took one last look back. They waved goodbye to one another and turned around to board the flights that would bring them half a world away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all of you that have read, left a kudos, or commented on this fic! I'd appreciate it so much if you could let me know what you thought of it.
> 
>  
> 
> **Also! I would gladly make a sequel/part 2 to this fic if I had enough interest, so if you'd like this story to be continued, PLEASE let me know!**

**Author's Note:**

> **I will be working on a sequel to FWYA!**
> 
>  
> 
> If you liked this fanfic, please let me know by leaving a kudos and/or comment!
> 
> Also, follow me on tumblr @toujoursmiraculous.


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